The German retailer has announced that it will be selling Santa milk cartons this Christmas, at 52c for 500ml.

The container comes with a label which allows children to sign their name on a carton of milk, to leave for Santa during his Christmas rounds.

While the consumption of milk is to be encouraged by the dairy industry, many farmers will be concerned by the low price of the milk.

Aldi is not alone in selling 500ml of milk at around the 50c mark, with a Tesco own-brand 500ml bottle of milk retailing for 52c.

However, a 500ml carton of fresh Avonmore milk sells for almost 20c more, at 71c a bottle.

The low price of own-brand milk is becoming an increasing issue, with up to 80% of the milk in Ireland sold under a supermarket’s own label, compared with 40% a few years ago.

While packaging and production costs have to be taken into account, in comparison the current Ornua farmgate price for November was 33.11c/l.

Despite stronger milk prices this year, Teagasc have warned that there will be a 10% drop in the price of milk in 2018.

Aldi sources its milk from Strathroy, Arrabawn and Monaghan co-op, and sells it under its own ‘Clonbawn’ milk brand bearing the National Dairy Council logo.

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Aldi has announced the return of its Santa milk cartons, raising the issue of cheap milk marketed at consumers.