The January milk league sees a redesigned table and some changes to the methodology used when putting the league together. The main change is to update the percentages of fat and protein used when calculating the milk price in A+B–C payment system. For 2025, it is based on the average of the last three years, which is 3.54% protein and 4.31% fat. The other big changes are to include some of the SCC bonuses. Up to now, any SCC bonus paid for milk lower than 200,000 cells/ml was excluded from the league. As the national average SCC is now consistently below 200,000 and the majority of the milk pool qualifies for a bonus, we have decided to include an SCC bonus, but at 85% of the actual amount.
The January milk league sees a redesigned table and some changes to the methodology used when putting the league together. The main change is to update the percentages of fat and protein used when calculating the milk price in A+B–C payment system. For 2025, it is based on the average of the last three years, which is 3.54% protein and 4.31% fat.
The other big changes are to include some of the SCC bonuses. Up to now, any SCC bonus paid for milk lower than 200,000 cells/ml was excluded from the league. As the national average SCC is now consistently below 200,000 and the majority of the milk pool qualifies for a bonus, we have decided to include an SCC bonus, but at 85% of the actual amount.
The four west Cork co-ops, Kerry, North Cork and Arrabawn all benefit in the league from this change.
Arguably the biggest change is to keep the focus on €/kg MS and away from c/l, as this is largely irrelevant as a reflection of milk price received by farmers.
The A+B-C pricing system was introduced in 2007 at a time when national average milk solids was close to 3.3% protein and 3.6% fat, so the base c/l price and €/kg MS price were closely aligned. That is no longer the case and the differential is growing annually. It will take time to get our heads around talking about milk price in €/kg MS and in the meantime we will continue to print the c/l table.
We welcome your feedback on the changes.
January
For January, it is Centenary Thurles and Tirlán that top the league, as they are paying a hefty €0.824/kg MS out of season bonus. Dairygold is paying a slightly higher out of season bonus after VAT is taken into account. January is not a big milk supply month, at just over 2% of annual supply, but it is a costly month to supply milk – so the out-of-season bonus will be a help to those that calve early. At an average price of €7.13/kg MS in the January league, when you include SCC and sustainability payments where applicable, it’s a significantly high milk price. To put it in context, this time last year it was €5.76/kg MS using the previous methodology. Interestingly, the price is the exact same now as it was in January 2023, but the outlook is a lot better now than it was then.
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