Compared to the economical plus in February, the average current milk price in March shot up like an arrow. Things seem to calm down a bit for April.
The arithmetic average milk price of the seven largest Dutch processors rose from €44,35 to €46,40 per 100 kilos. This is then the basic milk price. Surprisingly, it is not the 'usual suspects' who are left behind, because Lactalis Leerdammer was the red lantern bearer in March, while Arla and FrieslandCampina also struggled to keep up.
The average meadow milk price rose to €47,90 per 100 kilos. This is close to what the average Dutch dairy farmer should be doing. Of course it depends on the fat and protein content in the milk, which can differ for each company. And according to RVO the average levels decreased further in March. Again, the above-mentioned companies lagged behind, while Vreugdenhil, Cono and DOC paid above average.
In the meantime, the average for the maximum milk price exceeded €50,00 per 100 kilos for the first time, €50,13 to be exact.
For the coming months, milk prices seem to continue to rise. The milk prices already published for April, among other things, point to this, while the high raw material prices on the dairy market and figures relating to demand and supply also point to this. The current milk price records will therefore not be the last.