For the second time in three months, Dale Farm leads the NI milk league, having paid the highest price for October milk.

Our league compares prices paid by each processor to a farmer producing 750,000l annually of average-quality milk, in line with a typical NI supply pattern.

During October, 7.5% of annual supply is produced, up from 7% in September, but it is still the second lowest production month of the year. With low litres, milk quality is high and that is helping to keep prices above 40p/l in some cases.

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The league is calculated at the milk quality recorded by DAERA for the same month in 2024, when butterfat averaged 4.42%, with protein at 3.48%, SCC of 186 and TBC of 18. Across 2024, October was the peak month for milk solids.

Leading prices

With dairy commodity markets continuing to trend down, all processors cut their base prices for October.

Dale Farm, Tirlán and Strathoy all implemented a 3p/l cut, with Lakeland, Leprino and Aurivo down by 3.5p/l.

However, four of the six processors pay a bonus in October to encourage winter milk and that has created a significant range in prices paid.

In the case of Dale Farm, it has a 2p winter bonus along with a 1p/l top-up, which brings it into line with the 3p/l bonus paid by Tirlán and Leprino. Aurivo pays a 2p/l bonus on October milk.

With 3p added in, it effectively negates the cut to base prices at Dale Farm for October.

The co-op also paid out an average of 0.66p/l in October as part of its milk production realignment scheme, up from 0.6p/l in September, while higher milk solids in October adds a further 0.46p.

That leaves the Dale Farm price paid at 40.52p/l, which is a 0.54p increase on September.

In close second, Tirlán/Fivemiletown also paid more for October supplies, with its final price up 0.45p at 40.46p/l.

Leprino is up one place to third, despite having the lowest base price of all processors at 31.5p/l. Allowing for a 3p/l winter bonus, a 0.75p/l mozzarella payment and higher milk solids in October, leaves the Leprino price only marginally down on what it paid for September milk.

Towards the bottom of the league, Lakeland Daires led in September, but with no winter bonus it has dropped to fifth, ahead of Strathroy in sixth.

Both processors pay a 3p/l bonus from November through to February.

Rolling averages

Also included in our main table is the average price paid by each processor to a 750,000l producer over the 12 months to October 2025. There are no positional changes this month, with Tirlán in the lead, ahead of Dale Farm.

However, average prices are down by around 0.6p/l, given that a price of approximately 47p/l from last September has dropped out of the 12-month calculation.

Price paid

Shown in Figure 1 is an estimate of the payout made for October milk to a typical 750,000l supplier, but using actual solids reported to us by each processor.

Tirlán is ahead of Dale Farm because it has the highest milk solids. All processors recorded high solids in October.