Tesco has refused to comment on decreasing the price of fresh milk on shop shelves, after other retailers did so over the last number of weeks.

"Tesco is committed to delivering the highest quality fresh food in the market to our customers at great prices.

"Tesco does not comment on future retail pricing," a spokesperson for Tesco, which currently retails two litre milk for €1.49, told the Irish Farmers Journal.

The chair of the IFA fresh milk producers, Jim Mulhall, has described milk discounting as "lazy marketing".

"The weather events of last March highlighted the value of fresh milk to consumers. It is disturbing to see food being heavily discounted at the moment to gain market share.

"It's lazy marketing at its best. These discounts all inevitably affect farm gate price," he said.

Iceland and some Aldi stores introduced a discount which sells milk at the equivalent of €1.30 for two litres, over the last number of weeks.

Aldi’s recent cuts to the price of its own brand liquid milk has been condemned by the IFA as 'incompatible' with Origin Green’s values.

“Aldi is currently selling fresh milk at €1.30 for two litres. This is below the true cost of putting that milk on the shelf and is not economically sustainable,” IFA national liquid milk chair John Finn said.

Who wins in milk wars?

Aldi’s Origin Green membership ‘incompatible’ with milk discounting

Milk discounting is 'lazy marketing'

Iceland and some Aldi stores introduced a discount which sells milk at the equivalent of €1.30 for two litres.