After leading in the August milk league for a 650,000l producer, Lakeland Dairies also dominates the monthly league and the 12-month rolling league table for producers supplying 1m litres of good-quality milk annually.

Shown in Table B are the prices paid by all processors during August for milk produced at the three different qualities, which are outlined in Table 1 on the opposite page.

On good-quality milk, Lakeland is out in front with an alternate-day price of 27.16p/l, with Aurivo just 0.03p/l behind in second place on 27.13p/l.

Both processors pay a super hygiene bonus at the outlined parameters for good-quality milk, and this bonus payment is key to both being out in front for August.

Dale Farm has moved up one place from fourth to third, with a price of 26.97p/l. Glanbia Cheese has moved from second down to equal fourth and is tied with Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown on 26.9p/l.

Despite paying from the lowest base price, the Glanbia Cheese 0.4p/l mozzarella bonus and 0.65p/l volume bonus helps it close the gap to other processors.

For average-quality milk, Lakeland has held on to the top spot, but edges out Dale Farm by just 0.01p/l, with a final price of 25.63p/l. Again, zero collection charges keep it just ahead of its main competitor.

Aurivo is in third place on 25.57p/l, followed by Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown in joint fourth, with Strathroy in sixth and Glanbia Cheese rounding out the table.

Rolling average

For the 12-month period to August 2019, the price of good-quality milk across all processors averaged 28.84p/l, compared with 29.08p/l for the 12-month period ending July 2019.

Lakeland remains on top with an average price of 29.09p/l. It is the only processor paying above the 29p/l mark. Dale Farm and Glanbia Cheese are in joint second on 28.97p/l.

Aurivo remains in fourth place on 28.95p/l.

Average-quality milk

Moving to average-quality milk, prices across all processors have averaged 27.59p/l over the last 12 months.

Despite paying from the lowest base price over the five-month period from April to August, Glanbia Cheese has held on to the top spot in this rolling average league for the second month in succession, with an average price over the last 12 months of 27.74p/l.

This highlights just how significant the various bonuses are to larger suppliers of Glanbia Cheese.

Aurivo has moved up one place to second, with Dale Farm slipping to third.

Lakeland remain in fourth, with Strathroy and Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown rounding out the table.

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