Inside Milk
Low point in milk supply New Zealand is over
Dairy farmers in New Zealand have again passed the seasonal low in milk supply. Although the figures show a sharp increase again this month, the differences with previous years are minimal.
Read this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits you
New Zealand's milk production for the month of August amounts to 1,394 million tonnes of milk, meaning the country's dairy farmers seasonal dip have left behind again. In July, the milk supply amounted to 274.000 tons of milk, which is more than 450% lower than this month.
Minimal differences
The above percentage seems extreme, but it is not. When we look at the milk supply figures from previous years, the lines are almost exactly the same. In 2018, milk production also increased by more than 400% between July and August: from 262.000 tons to 1,383 million tons. The months of June and July are also the 2 months in which milk production is at its lowest point.
The line of the 5-year average is also closely followed, because it amounts to 1,363 million tons for the month of August. If we take a cautious look into the future, it is expected that milk production will continue to increase in the coming months until the seasonal peak is reached in October. Last year this amounted to 3,299 million tons of milk.