Results from an Irish Farmers Journal survey of all the main milk processors this week show November milk supply will be up over 20% compared with the same period last year.

Some processors are up close to 30% for the month.

In the west and northwest, Aurivo is up 15%, Arrabawn up 25%, LacPatrick up 16% and Lakeland up 20%. The big players down south are all up – Dairygold is up 22%, Glanbia is up 20% and Kerry up 27%. The west Cork co-ops are all up, with Lisavaird up 30% and Drinagh up 26%.

Last year the Central Statistics Office reported November 2017 domestic milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers was estimated at 391m litres.

If our estimated survey results for November are confirmed to be up 22% by processor returns, then on average there was an additional 85m to 90m litres produced by farmers in the month.

At a milk solids percentage of 9%, that would be an additional 8m kilogrammes plus of milk solids, which if valued at €4.38/kg (31c/l) it puts an additional €35m of extra output into dairy farmers’ milk cheques compared with the same month last year.