Thursday, 31 August 2017 09:55

Cheese, butter, milk powder booming

Written by  Pam Tipa
Cheese manufacturing is set to continue growing, with butter and milk powder. Cheese manufacturing is set to continue growing, with butter and milk powder.

Cheese, butter and milk powder manufacturing has been picked in the top five of 200 New Zealand industries to perform well this year, according to global business intelligence company IBISWorld.

The three categories are tipped to reach $17.1 billion in the 2017-18 year versus $16b in the previous year -- up 6.9%.

The top five were picked by IBISWorld in terms of expected growth, by far the highest earner and having the third-highest predicted growth rate behind multi-unit apartment and townhouse construction (9.2% growth) and geothermal, wind and other electricity generation (8.6%).

Samual Johnson, an Australian-based IBISWorld senior industry analyst, told Dairy News the recovery of global prices and increased output from farms are expected to contribute to growth.

“Infant formulas have grown particularly strongly; it is a premium area and a high growth area.

People have been investing in that and exports to SE Asia and China have grown strongly.

“Butter has not had the strongest performance over the past five years but is expected to grow in the current year. Global butter production is also expected to grow strongly this year.”

Recently Fonterra has increased its forecast milk prices so they obviously have a favourable outlook for milk prices in the current season, Johnson says.

“That supports our strong forecast for the year. It is mainly driven by restabilising of the global dairy market.”

If Russia were to lift its embargoes it would shake up the current stabilising of supply and demand and change export routes again, he says.

“But I wouldn’t say either way whether that is likely to happen over the next year or two.”

More like this

Sacre bleu!

OPINION: This old mutt hears some of the world's favourite cheese could soon disappear off shop shelves unless science can find a way to save the mould that makes them.

'Zero protection for local cheesemakers'

Local cheesemakers are facing competition from subsidised frozen EU imports flooding the NZ market, tariff-free, says Whitestone Cheese managing director Stephen Berry.

Featured

Council urged to delay rate hikes

A Southland farming leader wants the regional council to delay a proposed regional rates hike, much of which is intended to fund flood protection works.

Wool campaign making strides

A group set up to boost education and promotion of wool says it has made positive strides during the first year of its three-year strategy.

National

Green but not much grass!

Dairy farmers in the lower North Island are working on protecting next season, according to Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard…

Council lifeline for A&P Show

Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association (CAPA) have signed an agreement which will open more of…

Struggling? Give us a call

ASB head of rural banking Aidan Gent is encouraging farmers to speak to their banks when they are struggling.

Machinery & Products

Tractor, harvester IT comes of age

Over the last halfdecade, digital technology has appeared to be the “must-have” for tractor and machinery companies, who believe that…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Takeover bid?

OPINION: Canterbury milk processor Synlait is showing no sign of bouncing back from its financial doldrums.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter