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Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown has topped the NI milk league for the second month in a row, paying 28.26p/l for February milk collected on alternate days.
The Virginia-based company is one of only two processors that paid a winter bonus during February, the other being Strathroy Dairies.
In Glanbia’s case, it was this 1.5p/l premium, on top of a 25.15p/l base and 0.6p/l year-round bonus, which helped secure its position at the top of the league.
Once normal top-up payments on milk quality and transport are applied, Glanbia Milk finishes more than 1p/l ahead of Strathroy in third place and more than 2p/l ahead of bottom-placed Glanbia Cheese.
Milk quality
Milk prices published in the monthly league table are based on a dairy farmer producing 650,000l annually.
The milk quality figures used to calculate prices are taken from DAERA statistics for the same month during the previous year.
For February, this puts butterfat at 4.03%, protein at 3.26%, lactose at 4.76%, with TBC 16 and SCC of 188.
Changing positions
Strathroy holds on to third place, with an alternate day price of 27.19p/l, which includes a 1p/l winter bonus on top of a 25p/l base price.
February is the final month that winter bonus payments will apply to NI milk, which means base prices will have a major bearing on final league positions from now through to the autumn.
Behind Strathroy, just 0.8p/l separates the remaining league positions. Lakeland moves up one place to finish fourth on 26.64p/l, with Aurivo slipping one position to fifth on 26.17.
With both processors paying from a base of 25.25p/l, Lakeland finishes ahead of Aurivo, thanks mainly to zero collection charges and a higher volume bonus.
Dale Farm remains in sixth place, with an alternate day price of 25.91p/l, just ahead of Glanbia Cheese.
Rolling average
In terms of the average price paid to a 650,000l supplier over the 12-month period from March 2019 to February 2020, there is just 0.5p/l separating the top and bottom league positions.
Having moved into first position in January, Lakeland retains that position for the second month in succession, with an alternate day price of 26.71p/l.
All the other league positions are unchanged from January, with Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown in second, followed by Strathroy and Aurivo.
For daily milk collection, Strathroy continues to pay the best price of 26.58p/l over the last 12 months, with Aurivo in second.
The various bonuses paid by Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown for milk supplied in February means that it also leads on the prices paid in our 1m litre league tables (see Table B).
The information is presented across the three milk qualities, as outlined in Table 1 on the opposite page. It is assumed that milk is collected on alternate days.
On good quality milk, the average price paid across all processors in February was 28.02p/l, down from 28.27p/l in the previous month.
Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown tops the table by paying 29.32p/l, and as in the 650,000l league table, its final league position benefits from the 1.5p/l winter bonus.
Strathroy moves up one place to finish in third on 27.88p/l. Lakeland also moves up one place to finish fourth.
With its winter bonus finishing in January, Aurivo has slipped down the league table, falling two places to fifth with a price of 27.59p/l.
Despite paying a lower base price of 24.25p/l, Glanbia Cheese edges out Dale Farm for sixth place. At the outlined butterfat and protein levels for good quality milk, Glanbia Cheese has an additional 0.4p/l as a mozzarella bonus.
The Magheralin processor also pays a higher volume bonus than Dale Farm and has zero collection charges.
Positions unchanged
On average quality milk, the league positions mirror those for good quality milk, with Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown out in front on a price of 28.22p/l.
Across all processors, prices averaged 26.93p/l, down from 27.18p/l on the previous month.
12-month average
Table C shows the rolling 12-month milk prices up to February 2020 across the three different milk qualities.
As with Table B, prices are calculated on alternate day collection.
On good quality milk, the average price across all processors was 27.97p/l. Lakeland leads the pack on 28.24p/l and has paid the best price on good quality milk since July 2019.
Aurivo remains in second place on 28.18p/l, followed by Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown on 28p/l. Dale Farm is placed fifth, followed by Glanbia Cheese and Strathroy.
Moving to average quality milk, which is probably much more reflective of actual farm gate prices in NI, just 0.02p/l separates the top four places, with 0.17p/l separating first and last place.
Lakeland has taken top spot by the narrowest of margins from Glanbia Milk/Fivemiletown, with Aurivo following close behind in fourth.
Dale Farm and Glanbia Cheese are in joint fifth place on 26.66p/l, with Strathroy rounding out the table in seventh place.
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