Price of pint of Manx milk to increase by 5p

Isle of Man Creameries said the rise was "essential" to keep the island's dairy industry "viable"

The price of milk will rise by 5p per pint from 1 October, the Isle of Man government has said.

The increase to 65p a pint had been scheduled for May, but was postponed due to uncertainties caused by Covid-19.

It is the first rise in the price of a pint of Manx milk since 2012.

Isle of Man Creamery's managing director Findlay Macleod said the rise was "essential" to keep the island's dairy industry "viable".

He added that it would help "local milk producers and the wider dairy industry through these extremely difficult times".

Most milk produced on the island is processed by the Isle of Man Creamery.

Retail prices on the Isle of Man are controlled by a Milk Price Order, which was updated in 2018 to include metric measurements, and the amounts are set by Milk Marketing Committee (MMC).

The cost per litre for cartons of 1,000ml and above will also go up by 5p in October to £1.05, while smaller metric containers will be priced at 60p per 500ml.

The price of 200ml cartons supplied to schools will also increase by 2p to 21p from 1 January 2021.

Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Geoffrey Boot, who chairs the MMC, said it was important that people had a "reliable source of fresh milk and dairy farmers receive a fair return".