As shown in Table B, Tirlán leads our December pricing analysis for a 1m-litre dairy farm, producing high and average solids milk.

Despite Tirlán finishing second in the 750,000l league, the increased volume from a 1m litre supplier means more kilos of fat and protein were produced last month.

More kilos of solids, along with higher fat and protein values (than used in our 750,000l calculation), are both rewarded under Tirlán’s A+B-C pricing model.

With no change to base prices, the average price paid for high solids milk was 48.47p/l, down from 48.81p/l in November, as milk quality dipped from the previous month.

All positions are unchanged from the previous milk league, which means Tirlán leads on 49.83p/l, with Lakeland Dairies in second.

Dale Farm holds on to third place on 48.52p/l, despite paying the highest starting price across all processors, with Leprino Foods, Aurivo and Strathroy in the lower half of the table.

Average solids

Moving to milk produced average solids, there is also little in the way of positional changes from the previous league.

Tirlán remains in first place for the fourth month in a row on 48.38p/l, followed by Lakeland Dairies.

Leprino Foods’s 0.4p/l mozzarella premium and volume bonus keep it in third, ahead of Aurivo in fourth.

The only positional change sees Dale Farm slip down to fifth, while Strathroy rounds out the table. For low-solids milk, Leprino Foods remains in first place with a price paid of 47.22p/l.

Rolling 12 months

Over the 12 months ending December 2024, Tirlán dominates the rolling average league table across all three milk qualities.

For high solids milk, Tirlán paid an average of 43.58p/l, putting it just over 2p/l ahead of second placed Dale Farm on 41.5p/l.

Lakeland paid the third highest 12-month average price of 41.33p/l, with Aurivo in fourth on 41.12p/l. Leprino Foods and Strathroy round out the table.

The same positions are maintained across the rolling 12-month prices paid for average solids milk.

Tirlán is out in front on 42.22p/l and 1.67p/l ahead of second-placed Dale Farm on 40.55p/l. Lakeland is third on 40.50p/l.

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