NI Milk League: average prices paid up 1p/l in June

Across average quality milk, 1m litre suppliers saw prices increase by 1p/l

Kieran Mailey

22 July 2020

NI Milk League: average prices paid up 1p/l in June

For a dairy farmer supplying 1 million litres annually in Northern Ireland, Glanbia Milk paid the highest price for June. \ CJ Nash

Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown continues to dominate the 1m litre league (Table B), paying the highest price across all three milk qualities for the third month in a row.The prices published are for milk collected on alternate days, with the milk qualities used in the calculations outlined in Table 1.

Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown continues to dominate the 1m litre league (Table B), paying the highest price across all three milk qualities for the third month in a row.

The prices published are for milk collected on alternate days, with the milk qualities used in the calculations outlined in Table 1.

On good-quality milk, the average price paid across all processors averaged 26.52p/l for June, a rise of 1.26p/l on the previous month, and the first time it has increased this year.

Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown leads the way on 26.91p/l, up from 25.68p/ in May. Lakeland Dairies moves up one place to third on 26.63p/l, with Glanbia Cheese also climbing one place to finish fourth on 26.48p/l.

Losing out is Aurivo, which slides two spots to finish fifth for June. Dale Farm is sixth, with Strathroy bottom of the table.

Average quality

Moving to average-quality milk, the average price paid across all processors was 25.04p/l, up from 23.93p/l in May. With milk quality at base levels for butterfat and protein, base price and transport charges had a significant bearing on final positions.

Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown remains in first place, but Strathroy climbs two places to finish third on 25.05p/l.

Lakeland Dairies holds on to fourth place. Glanbia Cheese and Dale Farm are joint fifth on 24.78p/l.

Aurivo has slid from third to last place after the west of Ireland processor applied the smallest price increase across all processors of 1p/l for June. It takes suppliers to a base of 24.25p/l.

12-month average

Although it has trailed Glanbia Milk in the monthly league tables this year, Lakeland Dairies continues to pay the best price to a 1m litre producer of good-quality milk over the rolling 12-month period ending June 2020.

The co-op tops the table on 27.58p/l, although given the high bar set for good-quality milk, it is a price few farmers are probably able to obtain.

Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown moves up one spot to finish second, leapfrogging Aurivo which is now in fourth. Dale Farm, Glanbia Cheese and Strathroy round out the table.

Moving to average quality milk, which probably more closely reflects actual prices paid, the league positions are unchanged from the previous month.

Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown tops the table for the third month on 26.23p/l, followed by Lakeland in third with Aurivo fourth.

This leaves Glanbia Cheese, Dale Farm and Strathroy to round out the table.

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