Fonterra says it has returned to profitability with a net profit of $80m for the first half of the 2019 financial year.

Chinese dairy giant Yili will pay $588 million for dairy co-op Westland Milk, it was announced overnight.

Jim Mulhern, chief executive of National Milk Producers Federation in the US, on the crucial trade agreements shaping the future of dairy.

The dairy outlook is more rosy and positive than New Zealand producers may have been feeling about it, says US Rabobank global dairy strategist Mary Ledman.

Adding an auction in Europe should have no price impact overall on dairy prices, says Global Dairy Trade director Eric Hansen.

OPINION: The PM's unrealistic claim of a free trade agreement with the EU before the end of the year is proving to be a hollow promise. 

The a2 Milk Company and Fonterra are working closely through “the next wave of commercial opportunities together”. 

Lamb prices look set to bottom out just below $7/kg as the end of the season nears, according to ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny.

It is not always the fastest-growing or biggest returns which influence decisions on investment in various sectors, says MyFarm head of research Con Williams.

The EU’s proposed restrictions on the use of geographical names in products could have implications for NZ exports to other regions – including China, a trade expert says.