What Would Synlait Be Worth to Fonterra or a2 Milk?
Speculation of a possible joint move by Fonterra and a2 Milk to buy Synlait raises a much bigger strategic question, says agribusiness expert Dr Nic Lees.
It is the fifth consecutive fall this year with most products seeing a decrease.
Cheddar saw the biggest drop, down 7.1% with an average price of US$2,745/MT. This was followed by Anhydrous Milk Fat down 4.8% at US$3,337/MT and Skim Milk Powder down by 3.6% to US$1,992/MT.
Butter fell by 3.2%, average price US$2,911/MT.
Whole Milk Powder, a key product for Fonterra also saw a minor drop of 0.5% average price US$2,390/MT, with Rennet Casein down 0.4% to US$6,067/MT.
The two products to gain ground were Butter Milk Powder, up 3.2%, to US$1,930/MT and Lactose up 0.9% to US$580/MT.
Some 26,553 tonnes of product was sold, down from the 27,369 tonnes sold in the May 6 auction two weeks ago.
