Tirlán (formerly Glanbia) leads the December farmgate payout when all unconditional bonuses are included. This Tirlán price includes the input support, sustainability payments and a very significant (4 c/l) seasonality payment that all December milk supplied attracted.

The small north Tipperary outfit, Centenary Thurles, follows the Tirlán lead for December. Tipperary Co-op, which now has a 3c/l unconditional seasonality payment comes in third, ahead of Lakeland Dairies. For all co-ops that announced a top-up payment on all 2022 supplies, I have included the December component in the December monthly league.

Year to date

The cumulative column in the table includes the annual unconditional top-ups on all 2022 volumes or thirteenth payment that have been announced to date.

We know some others will be announced once financial accounts have been finalised in February and March. Only then will we have full visibility of where 2022 farmgate milk price finished up.

The west Cork co-ops with the Carbery bonus included have come from behind to lead this column into January.

The Kerry contract commitment of 1c/l top-up has been included in December, and for the year Kerry sits around a cumulative payout of €284,000 relative to the €290,000-plus for the other big players (Tirlán, Dairygold and Lakeland Dairies).

The cumulative column flattens the monthly effect and also takes into account the seasonality difference on milk price.

For most spring milk producers, December milk price has very little, if any, effect on income because milk supply is very low in December.

Boherbue

Small north Cork co-op Boherbue suspended the trading component of farmgate milk price component for November and December. The board will decide at the January meeting what to do for January to October.