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New Zealand: dairy sector

The purpose of this report is two-fold:

  • on the one hand, it describes the products that the industry produces, including commodities and various derivatives (butter, concentrated butter, cheese, milk powder, whey powder, casein, etc.);

  • on the other hand, it shows the overall exports of processed products - due to surplus production in relation to the population.

Home to a major exports cooperative, the Fonterra Cooperative Group, New Zealand is able to trade its dairy products on the international market.

NEW ZEALAND: DAIRY SECTOR
  '000 Ton
RAW MATERIAL AREA 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
(Dairy Season)1) (2021/22) (2022/23) (2023/24) (2024/25)
Dairy cows ('000 head)1) 4.842 4.675 4.702
± % from previous dairy season -3,5% +0,6%
Average litres per cow 1) 4.291 4.428 4.369
± % from previous dairy season +3,2% -1,3%
Milk production (Source: DCANZ) 21.884 21.051 21.247 21.531 7.453 7.469 +0,2% Jan-Apr 2025
Milkfat (%) a) 1) 4,86 4,90 4,99
Protein (%) a) 1) 3,91 3,94 3,99
Farm-gate prices of raw milk (€ x 100 kg, VAT not included)
m.g. 4.2%, prot. 3.4%
36,65 42,75 33,39 36,47 33,33 40,63 +21,9% Jan-Apr 2025
± % Over the same period of the previous year +16,7% -21,9% +9,2%
$/Kg milksolids ** 1) 9,52 8,76 8,90
DAIRY PRODUCTION 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025(f) % Period
Liquid milk (Source: FAS-USDA) 530 535 535 535 535 535 0,0% Jan-Dec 2025
Cheese (Source: FAS-USDA) 380 375 400 375 375 400 +6,7% Jan-Dec 2025
Butter (Source: FAS-USDA) 470 500 510 500 500 510 +2,0% Jan-Dec 2025
SMP (Source: FAS-USDA) 330 390 390 425 425 440 +3,5% Jan-Dec 2025
WMP (Source: FAS-USDA) 1.600 1.400 1.400 1.420 1.420 1.420 0,0% Jan-Dec 2025
EXPORT 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Bulk and packed milk (HS 040110+040120)
TOP importers
269 271 235 239 81 75 -6,8% Jan-Apr 2025
Cream (HS 040130+040140+040150)
TOP importers
170 156 173 186 64 75 +16,6% Jan-Apr 2025
Yogurt e buttermilk (HS 0403)
TOP importers
35 35 37 41 16 13 -19,3% Jan-Apr 2025
Butter (HS 0405)
TOP importers
398 451 472 429 154 171 +10,9% Jan-Apr 2025
of which:
Anhydrous Milk Fat (HS 040590)
TOP importers
163 191 200 170 65 67 +3,8% Jan-Apr 2025
Cheese (HS 0406)
TOP importers
358 340 374 374 117 156 +33,0% Jan-Apr 2025
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229)
TOP importers
1.617 1.328 1.366 1.373 527 510 -3,2% Jan-Apr 2025
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210)
TOP importers
326 357 451 441 170 179 +5,2% Jan-Apr 2025
Whey powder (HS 0404)
TOP importers
97 83 90 118 38 41 +7,6% Jan-Apr 2025
Casein (HS 350110)
TOP importers
63 61 54 54 23 19 -15,8% Jan-Apr 2025
Caseinates (HS 350190)
TOP importers
33 32 30 32 9,6 12 +23,1% Jan-Apr 2025
Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211)
TOP importers
24 28 28 25 8,5 9,6 +12,2% Jan-Apr 2025
Infant milk formula (HS 190110)
TOP importers
88 91 80 96 27 34 +27,1% Jan-Apr 2025
Fat-Filled Milk Powder (FFMP) (HS 190190)
TOP importers
59 59 55 46 18 24 +29,7% Jan-Apr 2025
Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) (HS 350220)
TOP importers
27 22 23 27 9,7 8,0 -17,4% Jan-Apr 2025
IMPORT 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025 % Period
Whey powder (HS 0404)
TOP exporters
12 12 11 9,0 3,3 2,3 -30,6% Jan-Apr 2025
Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211)
TOP exporters
104 99 89 101 35 34 -3,0% Jan-Apr 2025
Cheese (HS 0406)
TOP exporters
11 10 14 9,4 3,2 3,0 -6,8% Jan-Apr 2025
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (Source: FAS-USDA) 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025(f) % Period
Cheese 38 39 40 40 40 40 0,0% Jan-Dec 2025
Butter 31 32 32 32 32 32 0,0% Jan-Dec 2025
SMP 15 15 15 15 15 15 0,0% Jan-Dec 2025
WMP 18 18 18 18 18 18 0,0% Jan-Dec 2025
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS (kg) 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025(f) % Period
Cheese 7,44 7,60 7,73  
Butter 6,07 6,24 6,19  
SMP 2,94 2,92 2,90  
WMP 3,52 3,51 3,48  
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS 2021 2022 2023 2024 2024 2025(f) % Period
Population ('000) 5.108 5.132 5.173
GDP per capita (U.S. dollars) 48.779 (e) 47.208 (e) 48.827 (e)
GDP per capita (€) * 41.242(e) 44.830(e) 45.156(e)
NOTE
1) Dairy Season: June 1st - May 31th
a) Average excludes Northland, Taranaki and Wellington/Hawkes Bay
(f): forecast
** Average Dairy Company total payout. From 2009/10 average dairy co-operative payout is from Fonterra, Tatua, and Westland. This includes Fonterra dividend payments.
- Per capita consumptions are obtained dividing total consumption (Source FAS-USDA ) by the population (Source FAO)
(e): estimated
* Per capita GDP in Euro is calculated by using the yearly average exchange rate

Source:
Raw material area: Milk production: Dcanz; Number of cows, Average litres per cow, milksolids, milkfat and protein: Lic ; Farm-gate milk prices: LTO NEDERLAND
Dairy production: FAS-USDA
Import/Export: Stat.nz
Consumption: FAS-USDA
GDP per capita: International Monetary Found
Population: FAO

Last update: 31-12-2024
NOTE: Access to World Dairy Trade, which also contains the processing of Import / Export of the New Zealand with MONTHLY UPDATES, is reserved for Supporters of CLAL.it