Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina has set its guaranteed price for raw milk for February 2017 at €35.00/100kg of milk.
The guaranteed price increases with 0.50c compared to January (€34.50). In Irish constituents, this is the equivalent of 33.83c/L.
The protein price in February 2017 is €571.34, the fat price is €285.67 and the lactose price is €57.13 per 100kg.
The guaranteed price applies to 100kg of milk with a protein content of 3.47%, a fat content of 4.41% and a lactose content of 4.51% and is exclusive of VAT.
From 2017 the amounts shown apply to an average supply of 800,000kg of milk annually (in previous years 600,000kg). The volume-based premium and seasonal scheme are discontinued starting in 2017.
Meanwhile, FrieslandCampina will pay its supplier farmers 46.39c/L for organic milk supplies in February, the same price it paid in January.
The protein price in February 2017 is €783.55, the fat price is €391.77 and the lactose price is €78.35 per 100kg.
EU milk production falls for the sixth month in a row
Meanwhile, the latest figures from the European Milk Market Observatory (MMO) show that EU milk deliveries were 3.7% lower in November 2016 than the corresponding month in 2015.
This is the equivalent of a decrease of 440,000t on November 2015 levels. EU milk collections were up by 0.7% on January to November period of 2015.
Also Read: How the Dutch plan to reduce cow numbers to meet phosphate limitsSignificant decreases have been reported in major producing Member States such as the UK, France and Germany, although in some others, such as Poland, Ireland and The Netherlands, the decline is not that pronounced.
For the January to November period of 2016, Irish milk production was up 4.8% on the 11 month period previous, while UK production fell 4.2%.
For 2017 output could progressively reach and exceed 2016 levels as a reaction to higher milk prices, Eucolait, the association for the European dairy trade, said it its report to the MMO.
Eucolait has estimated that for 2017, EU milk production will increase by 0.5%.