Milk Price Summary for 2011

EU - In its Milk Price Comparison the European Milk Board (EMB) regularly shows the farm-gate prices paid by various dairies in Europe. Here is a brief synopsis of what the dairies paid in 2011.

15 February 2012

2 minute read

The prices the EMB gathered from Austria were invariably those paid by the Milchgenossenschaft Niederösterreich (MGN) [Lower Austrian Milk Co-operative], which were in the lower third of the farm-gate prices across Europe in 2011. Whereas the price of milk up until March was 27.99 cents a kilo, it rose in April to 28.99 cents and again in October to 30.49 cents. Unfortunately we have no data yet for November and December.

In Germany after a slump in March (31.50 cents) the price paid by Friesland Campina for milk went up in the following months, peaking at 37.16 cents a kilo in October, only to fall again in December to 35.49 cents. The prices paid by Nordmilch and Humana were likewise up on those at the beginning of the year. The last data we have are for July/August. The price paid by both dairies for milk was around the 34.00 cents mark.

The Danish dairy Arla started in 2011 at 30.35 cents and the price rose in the first half of the year to 32.56 cents. That was about average for Europe.

The farm-gate price paid by the Italian dairy Mila in 2011 was consistently 24.82 cents a kilo, making it the lowest price paid by a dairy in the milk price comparison.

The Luxembourg dairy EKABE paid 31.02 cents at the start of the year, then the price dropped initially to 30.52 cents and stayed at 32.02 cents until November.

In the Netherlands the prices made available were invariably from CONO, DOC, Friesland Campina and Leerdammer.

Leerdammer paid the lowest prices (the maximum was 35.84 cents in June/July and October/November), followed by CONO (36.01 cents May to October) and DOC (37.16 cents in October/November). The prices paid by all three dairies rose in the course of the year. The price paid by Friesland Campina for instance peaked at 37.64 cents in June. But the prices fell again as early as August (35.80 cents), to rise again in October/November to 36.84 cents.

The dairies in Great Britain started 2011 paying below 30.00 and, after a dip in February, prices went up by more than 1 cent over the course of the year. The farm-gate prices paid by the four dairies were consistently parallel, with First Milk paying the lowest, followed by Dairy Crest and Arla. All the dairies paid their top price in November: First Milk 32.31 cents, Dairy Crest 32.32 cents, Milk Link 33.47 cents und Arla 33.81 cents.