Tirlán and Ornua at war over butter

A fresh row has erupted between Tirlán and Ornua over US butter, after it emerged that Tirlán is now supplying own-brand butter to the giant US supermarket Costco.

A spokesperson for Ornua said it does “not believe competing on price alone is in the best interests of the farmers we represent, as it devalues the Irish grass-fed butter proposition, rather than building this through innovation, quality and long-term brand investment”.

Tirlán said it believes there is “scope for multiple grass-fed offerings in a growing US dairy market”. IFA president Francie Gorman has sought an urgent meeting with Tirlán chair Ger O’Brien on the matter.