In September 2026, raw cow’s milk prices rose in both Romania and the European Union, but remained below their levels a year earlier. Meanwhile, EU quotations for whey powder and skimmed milk powder rose, while butter and Cheddar remained well below their 2025 levels. For processors, the direction of the market depends on the product they track.

Romania: a faster monthly rise, but prices remain below the EU average

In September, the price of raw cow’s milk in Romania reached €38.91 per 100 kg, up 6.4% from August and down 11.2% from September 2025. The EU average rose to €44.55 per 100 kg, up 3.8% from August but down 16.6% year on year. Romania’s price was €5.64 per 100 kg below the EU average.

Provisional figures for October put the price at €38.40 per 100 kg in Romania and €45.12 per 100 kg in the EU. If confirmed, these figures would show Romania’s price falling from September while the EU average continued to rise.

Whey powder pulls ahead. Butter rebounds only week on week

The quotations below are EU averages for week 45, which ended on 8 November 2026, expressed in euros per 100 kg of product. The changes were calculated from the Excel data series against the previous week and week 45 of 2025.

The choice of benchmark changes the picture. Butter rose by 1.7% from the previous week, but the European Commission’s dashboard puts it 0.3% below the average for the preceding four weeks. Against that same four-week benchmark, skimmed milk powder rose by 5.8%, while whole milk powder and Cheddar fell by 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively.

Exports offer a different perspective

In January–June 2026, the EU exported 156,677 tonnes of butter to non-EU countries, up 38% from the same period in 2025, and 729,521 tonnes of cheese, up 6%, according to the rounded percentages in the report. These figures cover six months of export volumes. On their own, they do not explain November quotations or show the prices exporters actually received.

For processors, the useful comparison is between the cost of raw milk and the revenue they can earn from each product, taking yields and contract terms into account. The rise in whey powder quotations signals a change in that market; its effect on margins depends on the figures at each plant.