Overview
- SuperValu’s move has brought the total to five major retailers selling one litre of own‑brand milk for €1.19 and two litres for €2.35 as of October 14.
- Lidl initiated the reductions late last week, followed by Aldi and Tesco, and experts have downplayed the likelihood of a sustained price war.
- Retailers frame the cuts as part of wider value measures, with Aldi saying it is absorbing the cost and Tesco declining to detail how its reductions are funded.
- The Irish Farmers’ Association warns that a retail price battle could undermine fresh‑milk production, citing higher year‑round costs and a 34% fall in producer numbers over a decade to about 1,200 suppliers.
- The price changes come during persistent food inflation, with CSO data showing food up 4.7% year over year in September and milk up about 13.5%, as co‑ops have reduced payments to farmers.