Tirlán tops the league for December milk, paying out 53.36c/l, excluding VAT, after its 4.77c/l seasonality payment for all creamery milk suppliers is included. Centenary Thurles is paying the same price and so the two are the sole players in division one for this month, with over 3.5c/l of a differential between them and the west Cork co-ops in division two.

Lisavaird, Drinagh, Barryroe and Bandon have held their November price into December and although they pay out a significant 0.88c/l SCC bonus for the winter months, this isn’t included, as only SCC bonus payments for milk at 250,000 cells or below are included in the current milk league rules.

Tipperary Co-op is also in division two again this month, as its 3c/l seasonality payment is being paid to all suppliers and it increased base price by 0.95c/l in December. All of the other co-ops are in division three for December. North Cork Co-op, which topped the league last month, is finding itself in division three for December, as the payments from the reserve funds reduced by 2.4c/l in December.

Of note this month is the cumulative column, as it shows the full year of payments based on the standards used within the league.

These are the total payments for a supplier sending in 500,000l of milk at the 2020 national average for fat and protein, which is 4.2% and 3.55% respectively.

Top of the list is Lakeland Dairies €245,237, which includes the 0.77c/l 13th payment. Lakeland Dairies is followed by the four west Cork co-ops and then North Cork at €242,785.

Of the west Cork co-ops, Drinagh has paid the highest, followed by Lisavaird, Bandon and Barryroe. The difference of €567 between Drinagh and Barryroe is largely as a result of the differences in the C factor or volume adjustment in the A+B-C payment system.

Next on the list is Tirlán/Centenary at €241,103, which incidentally is still €2,057 behind the average of the west Cork co-ops, the owners of Carbery. Arrabawn and Aurivo are neck and neck, with just €34 separating them. Both of the co-ops are close to the average of all the milk league participants’ cumulative payments. The following co-ops are all below average in terms of payments: Dairygold at €239,540 and Boherbue at €239,422. In the bottom two places are Kerry Group at €236,063 and Tipperary Co-op at €233,137, which is over €12,000 behind the Lakeland cumulative price and almost €7,800 behind the average of all the co-ops.

It’s important to note that these cumulative prices are still provisional, as we are still waiting on some of the co-ops to announce additional or 13th payments.