Milk collection still falling
Fonterra’s milk production continues to track down, falling 5.5 per cent across the country over seven months to the end of last year.
The co-operative collected 881 million kilograms of milksolids from June 1 to December 31 from its 10,500 farmer shareholders compared with 932 million kilograms across the same seven month period last year, according to its latest Global Dairy Update.
The largest fall was in the North Island, where the milk collected fell 7.5 per cent to 553 million kilograms over the period. Its December collection also fell by 6 per cent to 111 million kilograms. South Island milk collection fell by 2.1 per cent for the seven months to December and and 2.9 per cent for the month of December, picking up 334.8 million kilograms overall and 75.2 million kilograms for December.
Across the Tasman, Fonterra’s milk collection in Australia for the six months to December 31 reached 65 million kilograms, 7.6 per cent lower than December last season. In December milk collection was 12 million kilograms, 1 per cent ahead of the same month last season.
The decline continues the trend of milk production falling in 2016-17. Fonterra’s November update said adverse weather conditions heavily impacted on Fonterra’s milk collection and it was down 8 per cent in New Zealand and 10 per cent in Australia.