Its liquid pool price will reduce by 1.7p per litre (ppl) to 24.35ppl and its balancing pool price will be cut by 0.9ppl to 25.2ppl. The cheese pool price remains at 26.25ppl.
First Milk chairman Bill Mustoe said: "I am under no illusion as to the effect these price reductions will have on our members' businesses and their confidence in the dairy industry as a whole."
NFU Scotland Milk Committee chairman Gary Mitchell said: "The anger among UK dairy farmers has never been more apparent. This self-perpetuating downward spiral in dairy prices, especially milk, is completely unnecessary.
"We know that global commodity values have fallen; however, when they were high, retailers and processors were too slow to pass the margins on to their producers."
CRAIG Wilson sold 20 prime heifers at Ayr on Tuesday to a top of £1285.20 per head and 220p per kg to average £1061.30 and 202.2p, while eight prime beef-bred bullocks peaked at £1430.10 and 235p to level at £1282.96 and 218.6p.
Three prime B&W bul-locks averaged £1033.19 and 172.3p, while six young bulls levelled at £804.87 and 152.1p. Over in the rough ring, 109 beef cows averaged 149.6p, while 152 dairy cows levelled at 117.8p. Four bulls averaged 115p.
A small show of three Holstein Friesian heifers sold for £1580 and £1550 (x2).
The firm also had a plainer show of 198 beef breeding cattle that met a slightly easier trade. Top prices and averages: 11 bulls to 3400gns for a Limousin to average £2152.50; 92 bulling heifers to £1260 for Limousins and averaged £980; 46 heifers and calves to £2220 for Limousin and bull calf and averaged £1627; 49 cows and calves to £1600 for B/Blue and bull calf and averaged £1278.
The firm went on to sell 735 prime lambs in Newton Stewart yesterday to a top of £86 per head and 202.6p per kg to average 183.1p (-14.3p on the week). A small show of 42 cast sheep saw ewes sell to £124 for Texels and £79 for Mules.
The Cumberland & Dumfriesshire Farmers' Mart had 34 prime cattle forward at its weekly sale in Dumfries yesterday when bullocks sold to 223.5p and averaged 203.4p, while heifers peaked at 214.5p and also levelled at 203.4p. Two young bulls averaged 181.5p. The 60 OTM cattle to pass through the rough ring saw beef cows average 149.2p, while dairy cows levelled at 109.1p.
Over in the sheep ring, 366 prime lambs sold to £83 and 203p to average 182.8p.
There were also 200 cast sheep forward with heavy ewes selling to £113.50 for Texels and averaging £88.50, while light ewes peaked at £72.80 for Blackfaces and levelled at £68.50.
