Rabobank flags rising global dairy prices, warns of downside risks ahead
While global dairy commodity prices continue to climb in most key exporting countries, the second half of the year is expected to bring increased downside risks.
Rabobank’s Farm 2 Fork (F2F) summit in Sydney was all about food – but briefly became about fashion as Dutch Queen Maxima took to the stage with husband King Willem-Alexander to congratulate winners in the Food Bytes! competition.
King Willem Alexander also officially opened the conference, speaking about how a small country like the Netherlands had been able to become the world’s second largest exporter of food through technology and considered use of land.
Rabobank executive board member Berry Marttin spoke earlier on how in China today two thirds of all sales are done through web markets. Today the Dutch buy their food through traditional retailers but the internet is quickly changing that.
He says there will be fewer farmers and bigger farms and consolidation in the food companies.
Farmers will need to make sure they product what consumers want to eat. The current model is to produce and sell later. He says if you produce what the consumers want they will pay more – but who will get that money? Farmers need to ensure it comes to them.
The Food Bytes! Competition was for food companies with new innovations competing for investment funding.
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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