Middle East demand cushions global dairy price drop at latest GDT auction
The upheaval in the Middle East may have eased the fall in global dairy prices last week.
Westland Milk has reaffirmed its commitment to pay farmer suppliers 10c above Fonterra farm gate milk price for the following two seasons.
Chief executive Richard Wyeth says the announcement will give certainty to their 400 farmer suppliers.
"There was some conjecture about payment and we've put that to bed," he told Dairy News.
Westland has been paying 10c above Fonterra's farm gate milk price for the past few seasons. The deal will now extend until the 2025-26 season.
Another milk processor, Synlait, faces the risk of farmer suppliers switching their supply to other processors like Westland and Fonterra.
Wyeth says they aren't actively advertising for suppliers.
"But i there are new suppliers interested in supplying Westland, our milk supply team will be happy to talk to them."
Questions are being raised about just how good the state of the dairy industry is - especially given that the average farmgate payout for the coming season is set to exceed $10/kgMS.
A leading financial and banking advisor says he doubts if most dairy farmers fully understand the dynamics of banking.
Dairy farmers are shoring up their balance sheets, with almost $1.7 billion of debt repaid in the six months to March 2025.
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
A former Fonterra executive is the new chair of the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ).
New Federated Farmers national dairy chair Karl Dean is looking forward to tackling the issues facing the sector.
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