Carbery Group has introduced a 'sustainability bonus scheme' for its suppliers which will see farmers tap into an annual fund of €6m in bonuses for achieving certain sustainability standards.

Farmers who supply the company with milk and who meet four sustainability criteria will receive one cent per litre bonus under its FutureProof initiative, in exchange for implementing milk recording, meeting certain EBI (Economic Breeding Index) thresholds, commitment to an ASSAP water quality assessment and using protected urea.

In addition, the company will pay a bonus this year of 0.5c per litre to assist farmers in preparing for the full introduction of the scheme next year, and any farmer who signs up will receive this as long as they commit to a sustainability pledge, and agree to undergo an ASSAP assessment for water quality. 

Chief executive Jason Hawkins said: “Carbery is a company with a commitment to sustainability since our foundation, and this ethos has come from the attitude of our 1,220 farmer suppliers. We have a long record of pioneering sustainable approaches and promoting sustainability on our farms.
 
“The FutureProof bonus will ensure Carbery farmers take their sustainability approach to the next level, and that we remain to the forefront of farming sustainably. We have chosen to focus on four very specific, measurable areas, which we believe will have the most impact, in terms of reducing environmental impact, improving efficiency on farms, and shifting the dial quickly on emissions and water quality, which is what we need to see in order to secure the future of dairy farming.”

The FutureProof bonus will take full effect in 2023. Implementation of all four measures would see the average Carbery supplier earning an additional €5,000/annum from the bonus, according to the company, in addition to savings and gains that would be made through efficiencies and increased productivity.
 
From 2023, Carbery suppliers who meet the following measures will receive a bonus of 1c per litre of milk:

In Association with

• Milk recordings made at least four times a year
• Using a percentage of protected urea as part of their total fertiliser use
• Commit to an ASSAP assessment
• Meet certain EBI thresholds.

For 2022, all Carbery suppliers signing up to the pledge will be paid 0.5c bonus, with the intention that this will allow them to make the necessary investments to achieve the full bonus in 2023. Any supplier receiving the 2022 payment will sign a sustainability pledge and complete an ASSAP water quality assessment if requested to do so.
 
There’s more information on the FutureProof initiative here.