Editorial: Punching Above Our Weight
OPINION: With 10,500 dairy farms, New Zealand continues to punch above its weight around the world.
The lift follows better sentiment across markets generally, says ASB rural economist Nathan Penny. For example since the last auction, the S&P 500 has lifted around 4%.
The rise was bang on expectations, he says. WMP led the way, posting a 5.5% increase (although WMP remains around 13% lower than as at the end of 2015). Casein recorded the largest increase (up 14.9%), while SMP rose a more modest 1.3%.
ASB is maintaining its 2015-16 and 2016-17 milk price forecasts at $3.90/kgMS and $6/kgMS, respectively.
Key Results from last night' s GlobalDairyTrade Event 159:
AMF index down 8.3%, average price US$3,254/MT; Butter index down 0.5%, average price US$2,811/MT; BMP index down 2.9%, average price US$1,452/MT; Ched index down 0.7%, average price US$2,528/MT; LAC index up 7.9%, average price US$613/MT; RenCas index up 14.9%, average price US$4,569/MT; SMP index up 1.3%, average price US$1,802/MT;
WMP index up 5.5%, average price US$1,974/MT.
