With bonus payments of 4p/l paid on top of a base price of 26.55p/l, Lakeland Dairies leads the NI milk league for November, the first time it has been out in front in 2020.

Once the usual payments for milk quality and volume are factored in, Lakeland’s final price payable to a 650,000-litre supplier is 32.56p/l for milk collected on alternate days.

Topping the milk league for November supplies has become somewhat of a tradition for Lakeland, having finished in that position every year since November 2013, mainly as the result of a 3p/l winter bonus payable in that month.

For November 2020, the co-op added in an extra 1p/l bonus paid out to all suppliers.

While winter bonus payments have a significant bearing on final league positions for November, so too does milk quality, adding close on 2p/l to base prices.

For the November league, the figures officially recorded by DAERA for the same month in 2019 are used.

Milk quality is set at 4.24% butterfat, 3.38% protein, 4.68% lactose, 16 TBC and 185 SCC.

Price increase

Nearly 2p/l behind Lakeland, Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown is second. It added 0.5p/l to its base for November and was the only processor to increase base price that month. This brings suppliers to a starting price of 29p/l, which includes a 1.5p/l winter bonus and a 0.6p/l year-round supplier bonus.

Once adjustments are made for milk quality, it is a final price of 30.66p/l.

With all remaining processors leaving base prices unchanged, Glanbia Cheese has slipped three places to fourth, edging out Dale Farm by just 0.01p/l.

On top of its 26p/l base and 2p/l winter, the Magheralin-based processor pays a 0.4p/l mozzarella bonus for milk produced above 4% butterfat, 3.2% protein, and with cell counts under 25 TBC and 200 SCC.

Dale Farm finishes fifth on 30.24p/l, followed by Aurivo on 30.14p/l. This leaves Strathroy as the only processor with a November price under 30p/l.

Rolling average

Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown continues to lead when comparing rolling average milk prices over the past 12 months, paying 26.94p/l and 26.71p/l on alternate-day and daily collections, respectively.

Where milk is lifted on alternate days, Lakeland has narrowed the gap to 0.2p/l, having been 0.24p/l adrift in the previous month.

Strathroy is Glanbia Milk’s closest competitor on daily collection.

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