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.
Dairy prices lifted 2.1% at Fonterra's GlobalDairyTrade auction last night.
The whole milk powder index rose to 1.5%, with an average price US$2,013/MT and skim milk powder was up 0.1%, to an average price US$1,721/MT.
ASB's chief economist Nick Tuffley says the whole milk price increases were concentrated in the near-dated delivery contracts, hinting at potential price pressure as the peak of NZ's season recedes. Skim powder prices were flat.
There were some very divergent price moves for other products, though mainly a continuation of recent volatility, he says. Cheese and anhydrous milk fat price prices gained sharply, reversing recent weakness, while butter milk powder prices gave back their recent recovery.
"We expect dairy prices to gradually trend up over the coming season as NZ and European production respond to the current low prices and as Chinese import demand recovers."
ASB is maintaining its 2015/16 and 2016/17 milk price forecasts at $3.90/kgMS and $6/kgMS, respectively.
Key Results of Event 161
AMF index up 6.7%, average price US$3,203/MT; Butter index down 2.0%, average price US$2,702/MT; BMP index down 8.2%, average price US$1,395/MT; Ched index up 10.5%, average price US$2,778/MT; LAC index up 6.2%, average price US$661/MT; RenCas index up 11.8%, average price US$4,438/MT
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
The 2026 Red Dairy Cow conference will be hosted by New Zealand in March.