Kingshay’s averages for January 2026 dairy costings are still showing clear pressure on margins as the UK milk market continues to face significant oversupply. January’s average milk price dropped to 37.41ppl, a 19% decrease compared with January 2025.
Despite lower concentrate prices, which are averaging £295/tonne for January 2026 (4% lower than the same month last year), the benefit has not offset the impact of falling milk prices, which look set to continue to drop throughout the Spring months.
The average margin over purchased feed for the month was £206 per cow, a sharp decrease of 19% compared to the same month last year.
Milk from forage averaged 8.3 litres/cow/day, a huge 19% increase compared with January 2025. January 2026 milk yields, have also seen a rise by 6% to 28.9 lires/cow/day acompared to the same month last year, adding to the rise in milk yields and the ongoing over supply to the milk market.
Rolling trends for the year ending January 2026 include -
- Concentrate use per cow was up 2.5% compared to last year at 3000kg/cow.
- Margin over purchased feed per litre was up 5.9% on last year to 32.14ppl.
- Bulk cell counts decreased to 151 (‘000).
- Yields averaged 8,831 litres per cow, increasing by 3.4% compared to the 12 months ending January 2025.
- Milk from forage was up 6.4% compared to the preceding 12 months to 2,594 litres per cow, providing 29% of total yield.
- Purchased feed costs were 11.30ppl, a decrease of 3% compared to last year, with concentrate prices of £301/tonne compared to £311/tonne in the previous year.
- Milk price was 3.5% higher than the preceding 12 months at 43.44ppl.
Click here for the full results.
More in-depth analysis of herds using Kingshay’s costings service can be found in Kingshay’s Dairy Costings Focus Report or call 01458 851555 for more details.
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