News Milk
Less milk in New Zealand in tail season
Dairy farmers in New Zealand have been working at a slower pace towards the end of the milking season. Milk production in the country for the month of April is much lower than last year. This follows the trend that started in March. Drought has seriously affected dairy farms.
Read this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits you
DCANZ figures show that milk production fell by 4,1% in April to more than 1,46 million tonnes. In March, milk supplies in New Zealand fell by 3,5% due to unfavorable weather. Due to drought in the New Zealand summer (January to March), grass growth declined in many areas. There were also irrigation bans to maintain the groundwater level. As a result, the season, which runs until June 1, ends on a negative note for New Zealand dairy.
Milk production during the 2023/24 milking season, as the graph shows, was quite in line with that of the previous season and the five-year average. In the first eleven months of this season, milk production amounted to more than 20,2 million tons, only 0,5% than in the same period of the previous 2022/23 season.
The New Zealand milking season peaks in the months of September to January. In the following months, dairy farmers slowly work towards winter, which runs from June to August. During this period, the cows are dried off before calving and less fresh grass is available, which traditionally means that milk production decreases significantly.