Battle for milk
OPINION: Fonterra may be on the verge of selling its consumer business in New Zealand, but the co-operative is not keen on giving any ground to its competitors in the country.
It has also announced an estimated dividend of 32c/share - amounting to a forecast cash payout of $7.82.
Fonterra chairman John Wilson says the higher forecast farmgate milk price for the new season reflected continuing strong international prices for dairy.
"At the beginning of this season, our forecast was that dairy commodity prices would continue at or near current levels until the fourth quarter of 2013. However, supply constraints in Europe and China during the Northern Hemisphere spring have contributed to an increase in dairy prices of 3% over the past two months. In addition, the NZ dollar has weakened against the US dollar. These factors have contributed to our updated forecast," says Wilson.
Fonterra has also confirmed a further increase to the Advance Rate schedule, paid to farmer suppliers, starting from $5.50/kgMS.
"A higher Advance Rate provides our farmer shareholders a strong start to the season and the opportunity to grow their own farming businesses."
