A standard litre … sort of

By Farmers Weekly staff

MILK Marque has changed the definition of its standard litre to reflect the better quality of milk supplied by members.

MM denies it is trying to make the ex-farm price look higher after its recent selling round failure.

The new price, 18.85ppl, marks a rise of 0.65p, though actual payments to farmers remain the same.

The new value is derived from hygiene bonuses, a higher fat content (4.15% compared with 4.1%) and higher protein levels (3.35% compared with 3.3%).

But national averages of 4.1% butterfat and 3.25% protein are likely to stay as the benchmark for price comparisons, says Stephen Bates of Wye College.