All milk processors made price corrections for March, making it the third month in succession that prices have trended downwards.

The latest cuts brings the average base price to 35.58p/l, down 13.5p/l from the record starting prices recorded in December 2022.

Base prices are back to their lowest levels for 13 months, with a difference of 2.5p/l from the highest to lowest base.

Table B outlines the prices payable on March milk produced at high and average solids by a farmer supplying 1m litres annually, with milk qualities outlined in Table 1 on the opposite page.

High solids

On high solids milk, prices averaged 38.64p/l across all processors, down 3.3p/l from February, with Tirlán being the only processor to pay above the 40p/l mark.

It leads with a price of 40.49p/l under its hybrid payment option. The small number of Tirlán suppliers still solely on a conventional payment are 0.5p/l worse off if producing high-solids milk.

Slipping to second is Strathroy, while Dale Farm remains third on 38.93p/l. Aurivo climbs two places to fourth, whereas Glanbia Cheese and Lakeland both drop one position.

Average solids

For milk produced at average solids, the price across all processors comes in at 37.91p/l, down 3.2p/l from February.

Tirlán overtakes Strathroy to top the table on 39.36p/l, with the Omagh-based processor second on 38.69p/l.

Dale Farm climbs one place to third, whereas Glanbia Cheese drops to fourth. Despite paying the lowest base, the Magheralin processor pays a 0.4p/l mozzarella bonus and 0.65p/l volume bonus at the outlined milk quality, boosting its final price. This leaves Aurivo and Lakeland to round out the table.

Rolling milk price

Table C shows rolling milk prices over the 12 months ending March 2023 paid to those on alternate-day collection.

Tirlán remains out in front on 47.88p/l paid for high-solids milk. Dale Farm overtakes Lakeland for second after its 0.5p/l bonus on all litres produced in the last 12 months is factored in. There are no positional changes to the bottom half of the table.

Moving to average solids, Tirlán again leads, with Dale Farm moving up to second while Lakeland slips to third.

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