Winter payments dropping out in some cases has created a wide range in final prices paid by NI processors for February milk.

Tirlán remains well out in front, with the co-op keeping its base at 29.9p/l for the fourth month in a row and with a 3p/l winter bonus to apply.

Omagh-based Strathroy Dairies also held its base unchanged, with the company paying 28.5p/l, alongside a 3p/l winter bonus, which leaves its starting point at 31.5p/l.

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That price remains ahead of Lakeland Dairies, with the co-op confirming at the start of last week a base price of 26.3p/l, but with a 1.75p/l input support payment retained into February. When a 3p/l winter bonus is added in, it leaves the starting point for Lakeland suppliers unchanged at 31.05p/l.

In all three cases, winter bonuses come off in March, but that process has already happened at Dale Farm and Leprino, which has left both processors well off the pace set by others in February.

In the case of Dale Farm, its 3p/l winter support payment, which was added to a base price of 28.3p/l for January milk, is gone for February supplies. The co-op also makes payments under its Milk Production Realignment (MPR) scheme from August through to January.

In January 2026, this MPR payment was worth 0.68p/l to the average Dale Farm supplier, so in effect, despite holding base price, the Dale Farm February starting point is back 3.68p/l when compared to January.

It is a similar situation at Leprino Foods, where a 3p/l winter bonus drops out in February. The Magheralin-based company left its base unchanged at 27p/l.

Commodities

Sources in the trade maintain that if dairy commodity prices continue to rise, it should allow local processors to increase base prices in March. However, there is also some nervousness that the current lift in markets might not be sustained, given continued strong global supplies of milk.

At the Dutch Dairy Board on Wednesday, after a number of weeks of upward momentum, butter price was unchanged at €4,700/t.

Whole milk powder increased by €100 to €3,450/t, while skim milk powder was up €130 at €2,680/t.