Fonterra FY26 Results: $9.69 Milk Price, $3.4bn Profit
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
Fonterra farmers are picking up the tab of about 30 fellow shareholders forced to dry off due to damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Some Hawke's Bay farms remain inaccessible by mik tankers, brining their 2022-23 season to an end months earlier than normal.
The co-operative has agreed to pay these farmers for loss of income under its 'force majeure' terms, based on the average of the past three year's milk production.
Fonterra Co-operative Council chairman John Stevenson told Rural News that he is really proud of how the co-op has supported affected members.
"Fonterra has covered farmers' milk that was unable to be picked up, including to continue to support those who have had to dry off due to no tanker access," he says. "This is a unique benefit of being part of the co-operative."
Stevenson, who was in Napier last week, met some of the affected farmers.
"I was blown away by the resilience shown by farmers I met who had been cut off by the storm. Some have significant infrastructure damage to farms.
"Many co-op members, including councillors, have also provided support to their fellow co-op members, both during the weather events themselves and afterwards, including by sending generators, feed, and making donations of rewards dollars via Fonterra Farm Source.
"I have not heard from one farmer shareholder who does not support the co-op covering for lost milk."
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.