The latest Milk Price Tracker – brought to you by Agriland and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) – details milk prices from the most significant Irish dairy co-ops for the month of February.

The Milk Price Tracker is the most in-depth and technically accommodating price comparison available to Irish dairy farmers and industry as a whole.

For 2024 there has been a number of changes made to ensure that readers are obtaining the relevant information easily.

For each co-op, a green number indicates an increase in base milk price; a blank space signifies no change; and a red number indicates a drop in base milk price.

The co-ops within the Milk Price Tracker are ranked from highest to lowest price for base milk price only.

It is important to note that the cent-per-litre (c/L) milk prices shown in the table below – are calculated using the widely accepted milk-pricing system.

The conversion factor used is 1.03, meaning 1L of milk corresponds to 1.03kg of milk.

It is Agriland and ICMSA policy not to include support payments, bonuses or additional payments in the calculation of the base milk price.

Milk Price Tracker

This month’s Milk Price Tracker shows a positive move for the opening of 2024, with all 15 co-ops featured increasing base price.

Lakeland leads the tracker for February with a base price of 40.90c/L, with Strathroy in second place with a base price of 40.50c/L.

Tipperary is bottom of the table with a base price of 37.74c/L. The most significant movement seen this month saw Kerry drop from the top half of the table to second from bottom for February.

Centenary is the new addition to the Milk Price Tracker for 2024, but it does not pay a traditional A+B-C system, instead it uses a base price with a protein and butterfat differential system.

The milk prices in the table are those quoted by co-ops for the month of February (2024).

February bonuses and penalties

Further details of bonuses and penalties for February’s Milk Price Tracker can be found by clicking here.

With regards to the Milk Price Tracker above, please see the following explanatory notes  (all bonus and penalty payments are based on manufacturing milk).

All bonus and penalty payments are based on manufacturing milk.

Unconditional bonuses

  • Arrabawn is paying 2.86c/L (excl. VAT) winter bonus payment of which applies to all milk volumes supplied during February that meet quality criteria;
  • Aurivo are paying 3c/l (excl. VAT) early calving bonus on all milk supplied in February;
  • Centenary is paying 2.8c/L (excl. VAT) seasonality bonus of which applies to all milk volumes supplied during February;
  • Boherbue is paying 1.909c/L (excl. VAT) on all milk supplied in February;
  • Carbery co-ops are paying 1.43c/L (excl. VAT) payment from the stability fund. This is included in the protein and butterfat prices;
  • Dairygold has a pay 2c/L (incl. VAT) early calving bonus for February;
  • Kerry are paying 1.909c/L (excl. VAT) milk contract payment on February milk. This is included in the protein and butterfat prices;
  • Lakelands is paying a 1.909c/L (excl. VAT) early calving bonus on all milk supplied in February;
  • Tipperary is paying 3c/L (excl. VAT) unconditional winter bonus for February milk that meets quality criteria;
  • Tirlán is paying 3.8c/L (excl. VAT) seasonality payment of which applies to all creamery milk volumes supplied during February that meet quality criteria.

Conditional bonuses

  • Arrabawn paid a 0.2c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with a somatic cell count (SCC) fewer than 200,000 cells/ml;
  • Aurivo had a milk storage bonus which is available to suppliers with a minimum annual supply of 160,000L that have enough refrigerated storage capacity to cover seven milkings at peak production. The storage bonus of 0.44c/L was taken from the ‘C’ from September 2021. ‘C’ is 3.813;
  • Aurivo had a 0.21c/L (excl. VAT) protein bonus available for every 0.05% protein achieved above the co-op average protein percentage in an individual month;
  • Carbery Group paid a bonus of 0.5c/L (excl. VAT) from March to October and a 0.88c/L (excl. VAT) bonus from November to February to suppliers that achieved an SCC of fewer than 200,000 cells/ml;
  • In September 2022, Carbery began to pay out a sustainability bonus of 0.5c/L to farmers who have committed to Carbery’s FutureProof programme. This is 1c/L for 2023 and is paid on all milk supplied by farmers who have signed a sustainability pledge and completed three actions;
  • Dairygold has a maximum bonus attainable by farmers who achieve the minimum requirements for six criteria (TBC, thermoduric, sediment, SCC, lactose and inhibitors). This cumulatively amounts to 0.4c/L (excl. VAT);
  • Dairygold has a 0.75c/L Grassroots Sustainability Bonus payment for water quality, protected urea, soil health, education, milk recording, herd health and Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS);
  • Kerry pays a 0.4c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with an SCC fewer than 200,000 cell/ml and 0.1c/L (excl. VAT) for SDAS;
  • Lakelands is paying 4.73c/L (excl. VAT) bonus if more than 40% of May milk production was supplied in February;
  • North Cork paid a 0.2c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with an SCC of fewer than 200,000 cells/ml;
  • North Cork is also paying 0.135c/L (excl. VAT) bonus if four milk recording are carried out in the year, it will be paid the following January;
  • Strathroy paid a 0.25c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with an SCC of fewer than 200,000 cells/ml;
  • Strathroy also paid a 0.25c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with a TBC of fewer than 10,000 cells/ml;
  • Tipperary pays a bonus of 0.25c/L (excl. VAT) on all milk with an SCC below 250,000 cells/ml;
  • Tirlán are paying a sustainability action payment of 0.47c/L (excl. VAT) for February.
MILK PRICE MILK PRICE TRACKER