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 May.

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, which means that 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.

The majority of co-operatives have decided to decrease their milk price for May supplies after many had held their price for April supplies.

May is typically a big month for milk supplies as cows reach their peak while farmers maximise the herds' intake through lush, quality grass to drive up milk solids, so a drop in price for the month is disappointing from a farmer's perspective.

The general consensus among cooperatives at the moment is that dairy markets have been stable with global milk production continuing to remain steady despite geopolitical tensions and uncertainty over economical performance worldwide.

Many co-ops expressed that global milk production has grown this year and that higher volumes have been processed so far this year thanks to favourable weather and conditions but generally, the price being set is set to reflect the current returns.

Aurivo co-op climbs to the top of the milk price, as the co-op was only one of four co-ops to hold its milk price for May supplies with a base price of 49.39c/L.

Lakeland Dairies and Arrabawn/Tipperary still sit in the bottom three but held their price for May with a price of 48.25c/L and 48.22c/L respectively.

North Cork gained a couple of places by holding their base price at 48.50c/L but still sit in the bottom half of the table.

The milk prices in the table are those quoted by co-ops for the month of May in 2025.

The west Cork co-ops concede their top spot at the stop as they dropped base milk price by 1.05c/L.

Tirlan and Centenery dropped their milk price by 1c/L to a base price of 48.58c/L which saw the co-op drop from the top half of the table to the bottom half.

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

With regard to the latest Milk Price Tracker for May, the following explanatory notes  (all bonus and penalty payments are based on manufacturing milk) apply.

Unconditional bonuses:

Arrabawn/Tipperary are paying a flat unconditional 0.47c/L (excl. VAT) on May Supplies;
Lakeland Dairies is paying an unconditional 0.47c/L (excl. VAT) on May Supplies - adjusted for solids;
North Cork pays a flat milk supplementary payment of 0.23c/L (excl. VAT) on May supplies.

Conditional bonuses:

Arrabawn/Tipperary pays a 0.4c/L (excl. VAT) bonus on all milk with a somatic cell count (SCC) less than 200,000 cells/ml;
Arrabawn/Tipperary pays a 0.712/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 a sustainability bonus of 0.5c/L to farmers who have committed to Carbery’s futureproof programme. This is 1.25c/L for 2025 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 1.06c/L grassroots sustainability bonus payment for water quality, protected urea, soil health, education, milk recording, herd health and Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS);
Kerry Dairy Ireland are paying a sustainability bonus of 1.35c/L (excl. VAT) for a range of measures. This payment was introduced in January 2025. This includes the 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;
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 total bacteria count (TBC) of less than 10,000 cells/ml;
Strathroy pays a 0.5c/L (excl. VAT) sustainability bonus. This was introduced in January 2024;
Tirlán is paying a sustainability action payment of 0.47c/L (excl. VAT).