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 September.

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

Base milk price has seen a good improvement in the month of September, with all of the cooperatives increasing their price from August.

All of the west Cork co-ops maintain their top spot on the milk price tracker for September, as Lisavaird and Drinagh increased their base milk price by 2.63c/L.

Barryroe and Bandon sit third and fourth in the table and increased their milk price by 2.62c/L and 2.64c/L respectively.

Lisavaird sits right at the top of the table with a base price of 49.16c/L, which is a significant increase from last month’s price.

Tirlán and Centenary had the biggest base price increase for the month of September, as they increased their base price by 2.75c/L to a base of 48.58c/L for September.

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

Tipperary dropped to the bottom of milk price tracker for September, as it had the smallest improvement in its base milk price this month, increasing by 1.50c/L to a base milk price of 46.24c/L.

September bonuses and penalties

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

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

Unconditional bonuses

  • Arrabawn pays a 1.193c/L (excl. VAT) input support payment of which applies to all milk volumes supplied during September.

Conditional bonuses

  • Arrabawn pays a 0.4c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with a somatic cell count (SCC) less than 200,000 cells/ml;
  • Arrabawn pays a 0.47c/L (excl. VAT) sustainability bonus;
  • Aurivo is paying a 0.5c/L (excl. VAT) future milk sustainability bonus;
  • Aurivo has 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 has a 0.21c/L (excl. VAT) protein bonus available for every 0.05% protein achieved, above the co-op average protein %, in an individual month;
  • Carbery Group pays 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 who achieve an SCC of less 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 2024 and is paid on all milk supplied by farmers who have signed a sustainability pledge and complete three actions. This is paid in January each year;
  • Dairygold has a maximum bonus attainable by farmers who achieve the minimum requirements for six criteria (total bacteria count (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 0.4c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with an SCC less than 200,000 cells/ml and 0.1c/L (excl. VAT) for SDAS;
  • Lakeland is paying a 0.47c/L (excl. VAT) milk sustainability bonus;
  • North Cork pays a 0.2c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with an SCC of less than 200,000 cells/ml;
  • North Cork pays a 0.135c/L (excl. VAT) bonus if four milk recordings are carried out in the year. It will be paid the following January;
  • North Cork pays 0.24c/L (excl. VAT) in July from its milk stability fund based on the farmers 2021 milk supplied which equates to 2.02 c/L (excl. VAT);
  • Strathroy pays a 0.25c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with an SCC of less than 200,000 cells/ml;
  • Strathroy also pays a 0.25c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with a TBC of less than 10,000 cells/ml;
  • Strathroy pays a 0.5c/L (excl. VAT) sustainability bonus, this was introduced in January 2024;
  • Tipperary pays a bonus of 0.25c/L (excl. VAT) on all milk with an SCC less than 250,000 cells/ml;
  • Tirlán is paying a sustainability action payment of 0.47c/L (excl. VAT) for September.