April price rises from Muller and Wyke Farms

Dairy farmers supplying Muller on direct contracts will receive a 1.5p/litre price rise from 1 April 2022.

This will take their discretionary base price to 35.5p/litre from 1 April 2022 for a standard liquid litre at 4% butterfat and 3.3% protein, payable to those who meet the processor’s Advantage scheme requirements.

Most dairy farmers on direct contracts will also receive a further 1p/litre premium, which is paid quarterly as part of the Advantage programme.

See also: How a dairy farmer has cut his herd replacement rate to 19%

Rob Hutchison, chief operating officer at Muller, said: “We are continuing to do everything we can to support supplying farmers as they manage unprecedented increases in costs.

“As ever, we will closely monitor all of the factors which influence farmgate milk price in the coming months.”

Muller has more than 500 farmers on direct supply contracts, with 99.5% eligible for the advantage premium, which is not available to Muller’s aligned milk pool.

The programme aims to improve herd health, supply chain collaboration, and reduce environmental effects.

In total, Muller is supplied with milk from 1,300 farmers in Britain to produce its range of dairy products.

Further price rises

Dairy producers supplying M&S through the Muller milk group will receive 40.03p/litre in April, based on a standard liquid price of 4% butterfat and 3.3% protein.

This is an increase of 0.99p/litre on their previous milk price and takes them above the 40p/litre threshold. Prices for April will be 6.92p/litre above the same month last year.

Wyke Farms has pushed its milk price up by 1.81p/litre from April 2022, to 38.31p/litre, based on milkprices.com’s manufacturing standard litre at 4.2% butterfat and 3.4% protein.