Milk Monitor 24 July 2025: School's out

Sweet whey unchanged, skim milk powder hikes €20.

The rise in skim is probably a correction rather than a fundamental increase, as we’re now in full-on holiday mode. I haven’t mentioned it for a few years, but the Milk Monitor moniker refers to my prefect status at primary school in the mid 60s, when I was charged with dishing out the third pint bottles of milk to my classmates, and I’ve been obsessed since. Sadly, school milk came to an end in 1971 when a certain education secretary known as 'Thatcher, Thatcher, Milk Snatcher' slashed the budget before going on to bigger battles, and the rest is history.

Returning to the present, market intel is scant, only one scrap of good news, in that fat-filled whey has started to come down in price a little. Other markets are quiet, soyabeans dipped briefly below 10 cents, now hovering above, while soy oil is at August contract highs, and meal at contract lows, with no indication why the complex is straddled. 

BDC agri is the UK broker for Lacto Production milk and whey powder products.

For further information and prices, contact Greg Dunn on 07801 308054 or greg@bdc-agri.com

Milk Monitor 3 July 2025: More confusion

Sweet whey quoted market = unchanged. Sweet whey actual market = unchanged (+€50)

Skim Milk quoted and actual market = Down €20 (- 0.8%)

Whey quoted unchanged for third successive week, skim has now shed €80 in a month. Supply difficulties remain in whey as previously moaned about, but coconut and refined palm oil have both come off their highs. Palm is probably a genuine fall, but coconut looks worryingly like a correction to the consistent disease-driven climb

The soya market is baffling, with soy oil prices hiking on US moisture level concerns and biofuel mandates and ignoring a monumental increase in Brazilian soya acreage for the 2026 harvest. 

Sterling continues to disappoint despite the base rate remaining unchanged, but the sluggish economy dominates, with eyes on unemployment rising as April’s employer taxes start to bite.

BDC agri is the UK broker for Lacto Production milk and whey powder products.

For further information and prices, contact Greg Dunn on 07801 308054 or greg@bdc-agri.com

Milk Monitor 27 June 2025: Hidden dip

Yet again, the published market conspires against my considered opinion, as we see an alleged and whopping 1.5% come out of skim milk prices, down €40 to €2390, but there’s still the anomaly with edible grade, which fell €50 to a €10 discount to feed grade! But we are in the foothills of the silly season of July and first half August, so I see this drop as an adjustment rather than a precipice, and changing market sentiment in August is rumoured. Skim milk production has started its annual decrease, following the trend of the last two years post Ukraine, which usually supports a late summer rally.

Sweet whey quoted unchanged, but still the same market conditions exist, with a €70 differential between Brittany and Netherlands.

Not much else going on, crude oil is back down to the old world order after the presidential profanity established a Middle East ceasefire. Soya is on a mild down track after better rainfall for the Midwest, but nowhere near tracking crude oil vis à vis biofuel, and ditto palm oil. Sterling continues to underwhelm global investors.

BDC agri is the UK broker for Lacto Production milk and whey powder products.

For further information and prices, contact Greg Dunn on 07801 308054 or greg@bdc-agri.com