Monday, 09 June 2014 11:44

Commission starts milk price review

Written by 

THE COMMERCE Commission has released a paper outlining the proposed process and timeline for a review of Fonterra's base milk price calculation for the 2013/14 dairy season.

The base milk price is what Fonterra pays the farmers who supply them milk.

The commission is required to review Fonterra's calculation of the base milk price each year and 2013/14 is the second time the commission will undertake a calculation review. The review will assess the extent to which Fonterra's approach provides incentives for it to operate efficiently while providing for contestability in the market for purchasing farmers' milk. The scope of the review is to only look at the base milk price, not the retail price that consumers pay for milk.

The commission is proposing to build on last year's review by focusing its analysis this year on the issues outstanding from previous reviews and any areas where Fonterra has changed its approach.

"The big change for this year's review is that Fonterra is proposing to pay less than the milk price calculated under the 2013/14 Milk Price Manual," says Commerce Commission deputy chair Sue Begg.

"Our assessment approach may differ from last year as a result, but we haven't formed any view yet. We will reach a view once Fonterra provides us with its statutory information on 1 July 2014 and we will also seek the views of interested parties at that time," says Begg.

The commission welcomes comments on the process outlined in the paper by Friday 20, June 2014. The draft report will be issued by August 15, 2014, with the final report expected by September 15, 2014.

The process paper can be found on the commission's website at: www.comcom.govt.nz/review-of-milk-price-manual-201415-season

More like this

Fonterra sticking to $10/kgMS milk price

Fonterra has reaffirmed a forecast milk price mid-point of $10/kgMS for its farmer shareholders, with just over two months of the 2024-25 season left to run.

Repeat $10 milk price forecast

With a record $10-plus/kgMS milk price almost locked in for this season, next season isn’t looking too shabby either.

Featured

Being a rural vet is ‘fantastic’

Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) awards.

National

Lame stories from a country vet

Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s…

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…

Amazone extends hoe range

With many European manufacturers releasing mechanical weeding systems to counter the backlash around the use and possible banning of agrochemicals,…

Gong for NH dealers

New Holland dealers from around Australia and New Zealand came together last month for the Dealer of the Year Awards,…

» 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