Inside Milk
Milk production remains stable in New Zealand
New Zealand still produces more milk than in previous years, but the difference is minimal. As a result, New Zealand dairy farmers are also firmly holding on to the seasonal trend in February.
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New Zealand dairy processors collected 1.932 million tonnes of milk in the month of February. It is a decrease of approximately 28% compared to the month of January. In milk production amounted to 2.474 million tons. It is not surprising that the milk supply drops sharply between these 2 months. This is the case every year, because milk production is reaching its seasonal low point.
In line with seasonal trend
Compared to previous years, the milk supply is slightly higher this year. Last year, 1.875 million tons of milk was collected in February, a difference of approximately 3% compared to the current season. The 5-year average for the month of February is 1.891 million tons. This means that the milk supply is approximately 2,1% higher this year.
Milk production is expected to continue its downward trend in the coming months. As mentioned earlier, this is because we are working towards the seasonal low. That trough is usually reached in June. Looking at the overall trend, the expectation is that the trough will again be around 230 million tons this year.