Base milk prices are down another 2.5 to 3.5p/l for November supplies and are now at their lowest levels in two years.

On Monday, Dale Farm confirmed it had reduced its base by 3p, taking it to 30.3p/l. Once a 1p winter support payment and the standard winter bonus of 2p is included, it is a starting point of 33.3p/l before any adjustments are made for milk quality and a transport charge applied.

That price should still leave Dale Farm towards the top end of our milk league and competing with Tirlán, who applied the lowest price reduction to date, of 2.5p. That takes the Tirlán base to 29.9p before a 3p/l winter bonus is included.

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Of the others to declare for November, Strathroy also came back 3p/l to a base of 29.5p/l. However, the Omagh processor pays a 3p winter bonus from November through to February, so its starting price has effectively held at 32.5p/l.

Leprino Foods came back 3.5p/l for November, taking its base to 28p/l, before a 3p/l winter bonus is factored in.

Last week, NI’s largest milk processor, Lakeland Dairies, cut its base by 3.5p/l to 28.8p/l. Like Strathroy, the co-op pays a 3p winter bonus from November to February. It will also make a 0.25p/l loyalty payment on all 2025 litres, to be included in the December milk cheque.

Commodities

Meanwhile there was a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for dairy commodities at the weekly Dutch Dairy Board auction, with butter increasing in price for the first time since early June 2025. The price on Wednesday was up €10 at €4,080/t, although that still compares to an early June price of €7,400/t.

However, powders continued to slide, with whole milk powder down €70 at €3,000/t, while skim milk powder fell €60 to €1,950/t. Those prices are the lowest seen for powders in approximately five years.