Drinagh Co-op in west Cork has topped the Irish Farmers Journal cumulative monthly milk league for 2025. It is joined at the top by fellow Carbery shareholders, Lisavaird, Bandon and Barryroe.

On a per-cow payment basis, the Drinagh price for 2025 came to €2,952 per cow excluding VAT, but including SCC and unconditional elements to the sustainability payments, as well as the end of year bonus.

After the four west Cork co-ops, in fifth place is Kinisla, paying €2,855/cow or €6.344/kg MS excluding VAT but including the 13th payment.

At the bottom of the cumulative league for 2025 is North Cork Creameries. At €2,757 per cow, the North Cork price is €195/cow behind the Drinagh price, or just shy of €20,000 on a 100-cow herd.

Just ahead of North Cork for 2025 is Dairygold, who paid a price per cow of €2,762 excluding VAT, or €6.139 per kg MS.

Both Tirlán at €2,790/cow and Lakeland at €2,785/cow are ahead of the Dairygold price, but all three are at the bottom of the league for 2025.

Meanwhile, Table 2 outlines the six-year average of the cumulative milk leagues from 2020 to 2025. Unsurprisingly, the Carbery-based co-ops top the six-year average.

Over six years, there is very little difference in price between all of the main players, with Tirlán and Dairygold paying the same price but behind Kinisla, Aurivo, Lakeland Dairies and ArraTipp. The monthly milk league is calculated each month based on the prevailing A+B-C milk price where A is protein, B is butterfat and C is the volume. The fat and protein percentage and the volume is based on a rolling three-year average CSO data.