Our analysis of prices paid for milk supplied in February has produced one of the largest gaps ever recorded between top and bottom performers in our milk league.

Tirlán/Fivemiletown has retained its position at the top for the fourth month in a row, with the co-op holding its base price at 29.9p/l over the period.

Once a 3p winter bonus is added in and adjustments made for volume and milk quality, it is a final price paid of 36.23p/l – that price is nearly 6p/l ahead of those at the bottom of the league.

The monthly league calculates the price paid to a 750,000l producer, delivering average quality milk in line with the 2025 NI supply curve.

Milk qualities are based on actual results from February 2025, when butterfat averaged 4.28%, with protein at 3.34%, a TBC of 16 and SCC at 176.

When compared to the January league, those milk qualities are down slightly, so that has a small negative impact on all final prices paid.

However, with all processors holding their base unchanged, it is the differences in winter bonus payments across each company, which is the main determinant of February league positions.

The top three all pay a 3p/l winter bonus on February milk.

Having finished third in January, Strathroy is now up to second, while Lakeland has moved from fifth to third after the co-op also decided to retain a 1.75p/l input support payment for a second month.

Aurivo finished bottom in January, but a 2p/l winter bonus in February has helped to ensure it now sits fourth.

The other two processors don’t pay winter support payments for February milk.

Dale Farm slips from second to fifth, with its price down 3.06p/l when compared to January. As well as the 3p/l winter support, there are no payments made under the co-op’s Milk Production Realignment (MPR) scheme in February. In the January league, the final price included an average payout under this scheme of 0.68p/l.

However, helping to balance that out is a 0.75p/l 13th payment which applies to February milk.

That leaves Leprino Foods at the bottom for February, even though milk at the average quality used in our calculations does qualify for the company’s 0.75p/l mozzarella bonus.

Rolling average

Included alongside our main milk league analysis is the rolling average price paid to a typical 750,000l producer over the 12 months from March 2025 to February 2026.

With Tirlán leading our league in six of these 12 months, it is no surprise it has the highest rolling price of 40.41p/l.

The only other processor still averaging over 40p/l is Dale Farm, with that average boosted by the co-op’s 0.75p/l 13th payment which applies on all milk produced from April 2025 to March 2026.

All rolling average positions are unchanged when compared to the January league.

Payout

Shown in Figure 1 is our best estimate of the payout made to a typical 750,000l supplier in February, but based on the actual milk solids sent to us by each processor.

With the highest starting prices and the best milk solids, Tirlán is significantly ahead of its competitors.