Fonterra Whareroa sets cheese record, wins top award
Fonterra Whareroa wrapped up a successful season with a record-breaking cheese production volume and several gongs at the co-op's annual Best Site Cup awards.
Fonterra has announced a record forecast opening organic milk price of $12.30/kgMS for the new season.
The co-op’s organic suppliers will get $9.25/kgMS as advance rate for milk supplied for the first four months of the new season – June to September.
Fonterra’s organic supply manager Stuart Luxton says the record price shows the increase in demand for their top-quality products and “really delivers back to our hardworking organic farmers”.
Meanwhile Fonterra has lifted last season’s organic milk price to $12/kgMS.
Last week Fonterra also announced a record opening forecast milk price for conventional milk - $10/kgMS.
Recently Organics New Zealand released its 2025 Organic Sector Market Report, which noted that the sector has grown from $723 million in 2020 to $1.18 billion in 2024. Exports totalled NZ$606.7 million, growing at nearly twice the rate of total primary sector exports.
Organic dairy is the second biggest sector, with exports up 39.5% from 2020 to $214 million.
Dairy farmers are shoring up their balance sheets, with almost $1.7 billion of debt repaid in the six months to March 2025.
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
A former Fonterra executive is the new chair of the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ).
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