Tuesday, 10 April 2018 09:55

Milk powder prices still cause for smiles

Written by  Pam Tipa
Emma Higgins, RaboResearch. Emma Higgins, RaboResearch.

Whole milk powder saw a small lift of 1.6% to US$3278/tonne at last week’s GDT auction despite the small decline in overall prices of 1.6%, says Emma Higgins, from RaboResearch.  

This is the highest average price since May 2017, she says.  

“Contract periods out across the new season’s flush were in positive territory and New Zealand product is still trading at a premium to EU and US sourced whole milk powder (WMP).”

Confirmation by Fonterra that milk collections for February 2018 were lower by 4% would have helped this result.  

 The major drivers dragging overall results down were weaker skim milk powder (SMP) prices and a sharp decline in anhydrous milk fat pricing.  

“Yet while the average SMP price dropped by -1.8% to US$1849/tonne there is price support for NZ SMP, which remains at a premium to most European sourced SMP offered.”  

 The northern hemisphere peak will put pressure on prices and there is a risk of higher feed prices globally. This will turn down production pressure over the close of 2018 and into 2019.

More like this

Featured

Call to fast-track animal medicines approval

With an amendment to the Medicines Act proposing human medicines could be approved in 30 days if the product has approval from two recognised overseas jurisdictions, there’s a call for a similar approach where possible to be applied to some animal medicines.

National

Machinery & Products

Gongs for best field days site

Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Less hot air

OPINION: Farmers won't get any credit for this from the daily media, so Milking It is giving the bouquets where…

Dollars go offshore

OPINION: The Advertising Standards Authority’s 2024 report revealed that not only is social media rotting our brains, it is also…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter