NI dairy farmers have been hit with further price reductions for April supplies, making it the fourth month in a row that base prices have fallen in NI.

Dale Farm cut its April milk price by 2.5p/l, putting suppliers on a starting price of 33.55p/l. While that base price is ahead of competitors, the NI co-op is the only processor to apply transport charges on all litres supplied, so any comparison of base prices should factor that in.

Elsewhere, Strathroy Dairy is down 3.5p/l, taking base price to 33.5p/l.

Glanbia/Leprino Foods

Glanbia Cheese also applied a 3.5p/l cut, taking its base price to 31p/l, which is the lowest base price for NI milk since September 2021.

With Glanbia plc confirming at the end of April 2023 that it has completed the sale of its 50% shareholding in Glanbia Cheese to joint venture partner Leprino Foods, it is expected that the Magheralin-based company will soon be rebranding to Leprino Foods UK ltd.

That leaves Tirlán and Aurivo yet to set a price for milk supplied last month.

Lakeland

Just ahead of Glanbia Cheese on price is Lakeland Dairies, with the co-op out early last week with a starting price of 31.5p/l, down 3.5p/l. That April price is a 19p/l cut when compared to the co-op’s record-breaking 50.5p/l base (including 3p/l winter bonus) back in December 2022.

Suppliers of NI’s largest processor should note that its volume bonus is reduced by 50% on all milk supplied during April, May and June.

This is then compensated for by doubling the volume bonus during the four months running from September to December. The move means that for a farmer supplying 90,000 litres in April, the volume bonus is reduced from the standard 0.3p/l to 0.15p/l.

A full analysis of April milk prices will feature in the NI milk leagues next week.

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