Kilkenny Farming - ICMSA publish 2023 Milk Price League

Following the publication of the ICMSA Milk Price Review for 2023 and the positioning of West Cork Co-ops in the top four places, ICMSA Dairy Chairperson, Noel Murphy has described the range between top and bottom as “worrying” and emphasized that we cannot allow that wide margin to maintain into the remainder of 2024.

While the range from top to bottom standing at over 3 cpl, the ICMSA Dairy Chairperson noted that the differential amounted to very significant €13,000 for a 400,000-litre production herd.

“The caveats and explanatory notes for this table and analysis are published in full in the report. But at a basic level, it looks at the average base milk price with available bonuses added on top.

“A full list of these inclusions are attached and it reveals the complicated nature of milk pricing.

“This is why ICMSA believes it is vital to do this analysis to provide our farmer members with the transparency that can be so hard to see on a monthly basis.

“End-of-year bonuses are also included with the latest being paid in the March statement last month and it is clear to all that those in the bottom half must do better in 2024,” said Mr Murphy.

Concluding Mr. Murphy, said that the other notable characteristic of the 2023 prices was what he described as the “absolute freefall” in overall milk price that was experienced compared to 2022.
While the range was over €8,000 last year, the top price paid plummeted by over 14cl, and this has had a devastating effect on dairy farmers given the high cost environment that continued into 2023.