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Glanbia Ireland/Fivemiletown has remained top of the NI milk league for a fourth successive month, paying 43.27p/l for milk collected on alternate days during April.
Once again, all processors increased starting prices for April. In the case of Glanbia Ireland, its starting price rose by 2.5p/l, and once a 0.4p/l sustainability bonus is added in, it is effectively a base price of 41.65p/l.However, while all other processors increased base prices directly, that was not the case for Glanbia Ireland.
Instead, its 2.5p/l price rise comes in the form of an agri-input support payment which is payable on all litres, including milk committed under fixed price schemes.
Milk quality
The milk league is calculated for a dairy farmer supplying 750,000 litres annually, with milk solids in line with the NI average.
For April, milk solids are set at 4.11% butterfat, 3.27% protein, 4.78% lactose, 19 TBC and 195 SCC, which are the figures recorded by DAERA across all processors for the same month in 2021.
Position changes
Behind table topping Glanbia Ireland, there has been a number of positional changes. Aurivo climbs three places to second thanks to a 2.5p/l rise in base price, taking it to 40.25p/l.
Lakeland Dairies also climbs three places to third spot, although the final price of 41.59p/l excludes any top-up payments under its new milk price adjustments for additional fat and protein.
Under the scheme, a farmer selected a reference year for fat and protein from 2018, 2019 or 2020, with any fat and protein above this reference year paid at a higher increment.
If we take the April averages recorded by DAERA over those three years, and compare them to the figures for fat and protein used in our calculations, the scheme would add 0.35p/l on to the Lakeland price.
Behind Lakeland, Dale Farm is fourth, having slipped one place following a 1p/l increase to its base.
The April league sees the co-op implement new payment rates to encourage higher solids. The butterfat base has moved from 3.85% to 3.88% and the protein base from 3.18% to 3.20%. Higher increments for both components above base, now apply. Dale Farm’s April fat and protein averages were well above the NI average and would add 0.5p/l to the published price.
At the bottom of the league, Glanbia Cheese has slipped one spot to fifth, with Strathroy remaining in sixth.
Rolling average
In the 12-month rolling league table for the period ending April 2022, Glanbia Ireland remains out in front.
On alternate day collection, Glanbia has paid an average of 34.52p/l, with Dale Farm in second, and Aurivo in third.
For daily milk collections, Glanbia is out in front on 34.22p/l with Aurivo and Glanbia Cheese its closest competitors.
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