Figure 1 shows the difference in payout between processors for the standardised litre at 3.49% protein and 4.11% fat supplied during the month of March. It shows the difference in the March milk cheque for a supplier with a normal seasonal spring supply curve (8% in March) for a farm that will produce 300,000 litres (66,000 gallons) in the year.

So this graph shows the price paid on a comparative milk solids basis, allowing for a fair comparison between Irish processors.

You can see this month there is over €700 of a difference in the March milk cheque between the processors paying top price for March and Dairygold, which is once again paying the lowest price this month.

Figure 2 shows the difference in the March milk cheque for the different milk solids collected from each of the processors.

Farmers should be rewarded for higher solids so if a processor is getting less milk solids it will pay a lower price and rightly so as it can make less product from that milk. The combination of good milk price and good solids puts Barryroe on top.