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.
MILK PAYOUT to Fonterra suppliers is under more pressure after this morning's Global Dairy Trade auction results.
The latest GDT auction result saw the average price index down 3.1% compared to the last auction.
Fonterra's board meets early next month to review the $5.30/kgMS milk payout; a further cut is now almost certain.
In a worrying sign for Fonterra farmers, the price of whole milk powder- the flagship product- was down 5.1% over the previous auction. Skim milk powder price was also down a whopping 5.7%.
Fonterra's current forecast price consists of a $5.30/kgMS milk price and a dividend range of 25 to 35c. For a fully shared up farmer, this translates into a payout of $5.55 to $5.65 for the season. Last season Fonterra paid a record $8.40/kgMS milk price and a dividend of 10c/share.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
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.