Fonterra Cuts 2026/27 Milk Price Forecast to $9.25
Fonterra has reduced its forecast 2026/27 Farmgate Milk Price.
FEDERATED FARMERS Dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard has described the lowest auction in five years as "a blow to the industry" as hopes of a lift or at least continued plateau in prices were dashed.
"We will wait with anticipation for Fonterra's board meeting in December when they will review the payout, but there'll be another GDT before then, so who knows."
Hoggard noted Prime Minister John Key's belief, voiced to Feds' National Council Wednesday morning despite the GDT news, that "GDT has bottomed out and we are likely to see things improve going forward."
But only a day later Finance Minister Bill English said falling dairy prices and low inflation would make returning to economic surplus challenging.
"It was clear from the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Brisbane [Nov 15-16] that growth remains elusive in Europe and more uncertainty in China is being reflected in some sharply lower commodity prices," he told an ASB business breakfast.
"Falls in global commodity prices such as oil, forestry and dairy, together with weak international consumer price inflation, are posing challenges for governments and central banks around the world... New Zealand is not immune to these global trends."
GDT price index fell 3.1% overall with powders plunging 5-6%.
Feds' West Coast provincial president, Katie Milne said Westland's payout forecast of $5.40-5.80/kgMS would be hard to hold with Westland selling more milk powder than anything else.
"Westland suppliers should be prepared that there may be a drop in the payout after the board meeting at the end of the month. However there's nothing wrong with living in hope, and if it does not drop we will all breathe a little easier."
Fonterra has reduced its forecast 2026/27 Farmgate Milk Price.
New Zealand dairy farmers are set to be the first in the world to receive access to a new digital physical milk pricing tool that enables them to fix the price for their physical milk.
State farmer Pāmu is opening its farm gates this summer in an effort to give the rural sector the opportunity to see how large-scale, multi-system farming is delivering productivity and profitability across New Zealand.
A five-year study has found that the cost of reducing emissions without technology may be significant and unsustainable for Northland dairy farmers.
DairyNZ says Waikato farmers need certainty on Plan Change 1, but they say that certainty must be matched with practical, workable rules and a clear transition that doesn't get ahead of the new resource management system currently under review.
While the Government has moved quickly to make commercial hauliers' lot easier during the current fuel crisis, they appear to be stuck in the creep box when it comes to the agricultural industry.
OPINION: No one messes around with Winston Peters, more so in a general election year.
OPINION: Staying on Federated Farmers, this week's annual general meeting in Auckland is shaping up to be an interesting one.