January 2026 Updates: Spot Milk and Bulk Cream Market

 

 

Our first update of 2026 and so Happy New Year everone and better still we start on a positive note.  

 

From the Xmas lows (those lows starting with the large volumes of milk dumped, losing the cream as well) traded prices ran anywhere between 70pkg and £1.10kg ex works 25tBSC (bulk sweet cream) started this week in a range of £1.09kg to £1.13kg ex moving up steadily through the week (possibly buoyed by Tuesday’s 6.3% bounce in GDT to circa £1.25kg by this weekend. Therefore, a wide range in price is reported for this week from £1.09kg to £1.25kg ex works. From the feedback on prices for export of cream to the continent not great at circa £1.10 ex equivalent after costs. 

Looking to next week some already reporting as already having sold domestic cream for up at £1.32 ex works. 

 

Meantime, butter prices also reporting to have firmed from the December low to circa £3,600/t for bulk unsalted. SMP prices currently pulling a wider trading range at £1,710/t to £1,825/t. 

 

 

The cold weather has certainly helped pick up demand on the hot drinks front which in turn has pepped up prices the spot milk market. From the lows of 5ppl trading over Xmas the price for those able to take milk into manufacturing but not dependent on such volumes, the range this week have run between 13ppl and 19ppl delivered. Any milk buyer coming to the market looking to top up with the odd load, the price has quickly lifted to as high as a reported 22ppl. This price for next week already looking to push towards the mid 20’s. Much will depend on weather and volumes.