Member states unanimously rejected Polish bids to sell skimmed milk powder (SMP) out of public intervention at last week’s tender sale.

Officials from DG AGRI said that the bids fell short of the prevailing market price, which is currently at just over €180/100kg compared with €175.8/100kg at the last tender.

The officials said: “The prices offered are below the intervention price, while intervention buying-in (€169.8/100kg) is now open from March to September.”

Poland bid for 240t of SMP, with prices varying from €138/100kg to €163.41/100kg, which were almost on par with prices offered at the eighth tender (€138 to €163.26/100kg).

At the first tender in December, the minimum price for bids was set at €215.1/100kg. Just 40t of the 22,000t on offer has been sold since the tender process began.

Next auction

The next monthly auction will take place on June 15 and there will be no tender for SMP in August.

Meanwhile, EU Milk Market Observatory figures show the latest EU average price for SMP for food is moving away from intervention levels (€180.30/100kg), while butter prices hit a new record (€450/100kg).