Global Dairy Trade Recovery Puts $9.50 Milk Price Within Reach
A solid recovery of global dairy prices this year makes a $9.50/kgMS milk price almost a shoo-in for this season.
Whole milk powder saw a small lift of 1.6% to US$3278/tonne at last week’s GDT auction despite the small decline in overall prices of 1.6%, says Emma Higgins, from RaboResearch.
This is the highest average price since May 2017, she says.
“Contract periods out across the new season’s flush were in positive territory and New Zealand product is still trading at a premium to EU and US sourced whole milk powder (WMP).”
Confirmation by Fonterra that milk collections for February 2018 were lower by 4% would have helped this result.
The major drivers dragging overall results down were weaker skim milk powder (SMP) prices and a sharp decline in anhydrous milk fat pricing.
“Yet while the average SMP price dropped by -1.8% to US$1849/tonne there is price support for NZ SMP, which remains at a premium to most European sourced SMP offered.”
The northern hemisphere peak will put pressure on prices and there is a risk of higher feed prices globally. This will turn down production pressure over the close of 2018 and into 2019.
Fonterra executive René Dedoncker is leaving the co-operative later this year to lead Australian agribusiness Elders.
Alliance Group and the Southland Stags rugby team have joined forces in a partnership that will see the the meat co-operative's farmgate brand feature on players' team kits and replica jerseys.
Fonterra's plan to expand its organic programme to the South Island is being well received by farmers, the co-op says.
Voting has started for the renewal of DairyNZ's milksolids levy.
The most successful catchment groups in NZ are those that have 'a source to sea' approach.
Associate Agriculture Minister and Manawatu dairy farmer Andrew Hoggard says the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiated with India is not a bad deal and his party, Act, will support it when it goes before Parliament.
OPINION: Fonterra may be on the verge of selling its consumer business in New Zealand, but the co-operative is not…
OPINION: What does the birth rate in China have to do with stock trading? Just ask a2 Milk Company.