Lactalis Leerdammer Raises October Milk Price to €46.35
Royal Lactalis Leerdammer has lifted its October farmgate milk price by €1.51 per 100kg, setting the payment at €46.35. The calculation uses an annual reference supply of 1m kg with milk containing 4.45% butterfat and 3.58% crude protein. The company said the October figure is its highest monthly price in 2026.
Under the revised payment schedule, the processor values milk fat at €4.07 per kilogram and milk protein at €8.14 per kilogram. Farmers enrolled in specified pasture-grazing and sustainability programmes may receive higher net cash payments, depending on their performance under those schemes.
Lactalis Leerdammer operates cheese plants in Schoonrewoerd and Dalfsen under the Lactalis Group. The facilities produce Leerdammer semi-hard cheese for retail markets in western Europe and also process sweet whey into demineralised whey powders and protein concentrates.
The Dutch increase coincides with a higher October payment from Royal FrieslandCampina. Its guaranteed price is €45.50 per 100kg, rising to €49.21 when the maximum sustainability and grazing supplements are included. The article attributes the wider price movement to tighter raw-milk availability in western Europe, seasonal declines in autumn milk output and local effects from bluetongue virus serotype 3.
Reduced availability of milk on the spot market has increased competition among cheese producers, fresh-dairy companies and butter processors, according to the source. Prices for natural cheese and industrial butterfat have also been described as strong, supporting higher payments to supplying farms.
Dutch dairy producers continue to face high roughage expenses, working-capital interest costs and compliance spending linked to manure and nitrogen rules. The phased reduction of the European Union’s nitrates derogation has added to manure-disposal costs. The higher October payment increases receipts tied to milk fat and protein, while the Netherlands’ winter production cycle is approaching its seasonal low.
