The board of Lakeland Dairies has decided to hold the base milk price for April supplies.

It has set a base price of 39.71c/l excluding VAT at 3.6% butterfat and 3.3% protein. The price also includes the 0.5c/l sustainability incentive payment.

A 1c/l input support payment, introduced last month, continues to be paid on top of the base price.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland (NI), a base price of 34.5p/l will be paid for milk supplied in April. The base price for April has held from last month and includes the 0.5p/l sustainability incentive payment.

A 0.8p/l input support payment continues to be paid to all NI suppliers.

While weather conditions have become somewhat more manageable in the last couple of weeks, the spring has been a difficult one for all farmers, a Lakeland Dairies spokesperson said.

EU milk supply

“We recognise this and have therefore continued the input support for April. Global and EU milk supplies remain back on last year, but the gap has begun to narrow.

“With the full-year global supply picture looking generally more positive versus last month, buyers remain cautious and the market has been a little more volatile over the past month as a result.

“Lakeland Dairies will continue to monitor the markets and will endeavour to support our farmers as best we can,” they said.