Dairygold has increased the Grassroots sustainability bonus it pays to qualifying milk suppliers by one third after adding new elements to the programme around nutrient balance and genetics.

The sustainability bonus will now be worth 1c/l, up from 0.75c/l since the payment was launched in 2023.

The co-op has said that the increased bonus will see an additional €14m in milk sustainability bonuses added on to milk cheques each year.

Some 93% of the processor’s milk supplies currently qualify for the sustainability bonus for completing actions, which include the use of protected urea, milk recording and training.

European Commissioner for Justice Michael McGrath praised the “proactive work” undertaken by co-ops and suppliers to improve dairy’s sustainability when speaking at the launch of the updated programme.

“The dairy industry is Ireland’s largest and most successful indigenous industry, supporting thousands of farming families across the country,” Commissioner McGrath said.

“It’s through participation on programmes such as Grassroots that our family farms can future-proof their operations to ensure we maintain our world-class dairy industry into the future.”

Rewarding work

Dairygold chair Seán O’Brien said that the co-op is pleased to reward suppliers for the “positive steps they are taking to make their farms even more sustainable”.

“We know that water quality is a priority issue for agriculture and we’re committed to doing what we can to further drive action to protect and improve it across the Dairygold catchment,” he commented.

“The updated training element of the Grassroots bonus, encompassing individual nutrient balance training and action, will go a long way towards achieving those positive results.

“However, we also need to ensure we’re given the time to demonstrate the efficacy of these measures.”

The sustainability programme’s renewed focus on genetics, including dairy-beef, will pay dividends for both farmers’ bottom line and the environment, O’Brien added.