With winter bonus payments coming into effect from October, there have been significant positional changes in the monthly NI milk league.

After holding the top spot for the first nine months of this year, Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown has finally dropped down the table.

Leading on price paid for October supplies is Magheralin-based Glanbia Cheese, which paid 30.25p/l to a 650,000l producer for milk collected on alternate days.

It is the first time in exactly two years that the company has topped the league, and on that occasion, it paid 31.43p/l.

However, the gap to second-placed Dale farm is extremely close at just 0.02p/l, with Aurivo in third just 0.11p/l behind. All three processors pay a winter bonus of 2p/l for October.

Although Glanbia Cheese held its base on 26p/l, Aurivo and Dale Farm increased their respective bases by 0.25p/l to 26.5p/l and 26.55p/l respectively. However, Glanbia Cheese makes up the difference thanks to premiums on milk quality and zero collection charges.

Milk quality

For October, the calculations used to determine milk prices are based on DAERA statistics from the same month in 2019, when butterfat across all NI milk supplied averaged 4.23%, protein was at 3.39%, lactose at 4.65%, TBC 16 and SCC at 199.

At these milk qualities, Glanbia Cheese suppliers benefit from a 0.4p/l mozzarella bonus, which takes its final price ahead of the rest.

Dale Farm

Second-placed Dale Farm paid 30.23p/l at the outlined milk quality, climbing five places from the previous month.

The co-op has confirmed that its actual milk quality for October came in at 4.34% butterfat and 3.45% protein, so by our calculations, that would have returned an average milk price of 30.69p/l to a 650,000l producer.

In general, other processors tend to have larger suppliers, which can pull overall milk qualities down. However, a 650,000l supplier to any processor is equally likely to produce higher solids milk, so the only fair comparison is across standard milk qualities.

Moves up

Elsewhere in the monthly league, Aurivo moves up one place to third and Strathroy go up one place to fourth, with the Omagh processor paying a winter bonus of 1p/l on top of a 26p/l base.

That leaves those processors that don’t pay a winter bonus for October milk. Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown slips down to fifth, with Lakeland finishing bottom of the table.

Rolling average

Despite that, these two processors lead in our analysis of rolling average milk prices over the last 12 months. Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown remains on top for both alternate day and daily collections.

Lakeland is its closest competitor on alternate day collection, trailing by 0.24p/l on 26.49p/l.

On daily milk collection, Strathroy is third, with Aurivo in fourth.

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