Reports from milk processors of significant rises in milk output in recent months has been confirmed in official data published by DAERA to the end of January 2025.

In the last quarter of 2024, milk production was up 9.7% on the same period in 2023. That trend has continued into January 2025, with a new record high for the month of 236.5m litres, up 9% on the January 2024 total. The increased volumes show that farmers are reacting to a favourable milk to feed price ratio. In January 2025, the average price paid for milk was 47.23p/l, which is the highest ever paid in that month.

That price is also over 1.5p/l ahead of the official average published for Britain of 45.65p/l, with that trend of higher NI prices going back to August 2024.

Prior to that, the last time NI prices were ahead of those in Britain was December 2022.

Winter bonus

In recent months, there has been a slight revision downwards in NI prices, mainly due to winter bonuses dropping off.

For milk produced in March, most processors held at February base prices. That includes Tirlán and Aurivo, who were the final co-ops to declare a price for last month. In the case of Tirlán, a 3p/l winter bonus does not apply in March, leaving base price at 40.9p/l. It is a similar situation at Aurivo, where a 2p/l winter bonus is no longer applicable, leaving base price unchanged at 42.1p/l.

Elsewhere, Dale Farm is on a base price of 41.8p/l before transport charges of around 0.3p/l are applied, but with a 0.5p/l 13th payment to be added in. Strathroy is on a base of 41p/l, Leprino Foods is at 40.75p/l and Lakeland Dairies is on a base of 39.8p/l. There will be a full analysis of March prices in our NI milk league in next week’s edition.