The chair of Dairygold expects milk prices to hold stable over the next three to four months, but cautioned against crystal ball gazing any further than that time period.

Seán O’Brien was responding to a question from Cork farmer Richard Henchion at Dairy Day 2024, who asked where milk price would be in six to eight months’ time.

“It’s too long of a term now, that’s the straight and honest answer. The volatility is coming in too fast, but what I would say is a big decision will be made in April for March milk,” O’Brien said.

“That’s when you’re really starting to purchase an awful lot of milk, but I see stability for the next three to four months of where we are, in and around the 50c/l base price,” he said.

Butter prices

Arrabawn chair Edward Carr agreed and expects the base price to stay around the 50c/l mark.

“As Seán said, three months is nearly as far as you can look - we’re very dependent at the moment on a fierce strong butter price.”

The average base price will work out in or around 45c/l for the year gone by, Lakeland Dairies chair Niall Matthews said.

“We came out with a fixed price offer for next year of 48c for [the] first three months and the last three months and 46c for the last three months,” he added, but said there hasn’t been a big uptake on the contracted price from farmers.

He said he was confident about prices and said that, if anything, futures have improved.