Milk Powder Prices Rally: $10/kgMS Milk Price in Sight
Milk powder prices are continuing their merry run, firming up a potential $10/kgMS farmgate price this season.
The new product, Anchor Essence Cream, was developed to meet fast‑growing demand in the Asian region.
Fonterra is strengthening its foodservice presence in China with the launch of a new cream for professional bakeries at Bakery China 2026 in Shanghai.
The launch supports the co-operative’s strategy to deliver endto- end value for farmer owners and builds on Fonterra’s broader portfolio of high-quality dairy solutions, giving customers flexibility to choose what works best for their specific applications.
The new product, Anchor Essence Cream, was developed to meet fast‑growing demand in the region and expands Fonterra’s offering with a new option for professional bakers.
Fonterra’s president of global foodservice, Teh‑han Chow, says the launch reflects how quickly customer needs are evolving in the market.
“The launch of Anchor Essence Cream is an example of how we’re delivering on our strategy – bringing high‑performing solutions to market that meet customer needs and support higher‑value demand for New Zealand milk,” he says.
Designed specifically for professional use, the cream delivers a light, smooth texture and reliable performance. It is well suited to cake fillings and soft bakery products, while also supporting whipping, piping and detailed decoration.
Anchor Essence Cream carries the FernMark Grass-Fed logo, highlighting its New Zealand origin – making it the first dairy product in market to do so.
The FernMark Grass-Fed is a trusted, government‑backed logo that signals authentic New Zealand origin and reinforces the product’s premium provenance and pasture-based farming.
The New Zealand Grass-Fed Standard, which was announced by the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Primary Industries in June 2025, states dairy animals must on average have a diet of at least 90% of qualifying grass-fed feed types and must on average graze pasture or forage crops for at least 340 days per year for at least 8 hours per day.
“New Zealand provenance and grass‑fed production really matter in this market,” says Chow.
“Trusted origin and consistent performance help our customers create higher‑quality products that meet changing consumer expectations.”
This demand comes alongside broader growth in cream consumption across the region.
Demand for cream in China has accelerated, with usage expanding well beyond traditional birthday cakes.
Cream is now used across a much wider range of occasions, including beverages, dining and bakery.
Growth is also being driven by shifts in consumer preferences, with a move away from plant‑based fats and alternatives, towards dairy cream, increasingly seen as a premium and natural ingredient. Rapid expansion in foodservice outlets across bakery and beverage is further supporting demand, with dairy cream usage in China’s bakery sector growing from around 10% in 2013 to approximately 40% today.
Together, these trends are driving demand for Fonterra’s high‑quality dairy across China’s bakery and foodservice sectors.
When dairy manager Miriam Lauridsen learned the farm, she was joining held weekly health and safety meetings, she initially thought that was “a bit over the top”. Experiencing that culture changed her mind.
Nominations are open for the 2027 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year Award.
Keeping up with pasture moisture demands is likely to be the key challenge for dairy farmers during this season’s El Niño weather pattern, says Blue Skies Weather & Climate Services meteorologist Tony Trewinnard.
Farmers have until the end of this week to help shape DairyNZ’s future focus.
Wayne McNee, chief executive of AgriZeroNZ, has resigned and will leave the organisation on 15 January 2027.
The New Zealand dairy sector set a record in the 2025/26 season, producing more than two billion kilograms of milksolids for the first time.

OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…