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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) |
|
269 | 271 | 235 | 239 | 81 | 75 | -6,8% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Cream (HS 040130+040140+040150) |
|
170 | 156 | 173 | 186 | 64 | 75 | +16,6% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Yogurt e buttermilk (HS 0403) |
|
35 | 35 | 37 | 41 | 16 | 13 | -19,3% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Butter (HS 0405) |
|
398 | 451 | 472 | 429 | 154 | 171 | +10,9% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| of which: | ||||||||||
| Anhydrous Milk Fat (HS 040590) |
|
163 | 191 | 200 | 170 | 65 | 67 | +3,8% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Cheese (HS 0406) |
|
358 | 340 | 374 | 374 | 117 | 156 | +33,0% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) |
|
1.617 | 1.328 | 1.366 | 1.373 | 527 | 510 | -3,2% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) |
|
326 | 357 | 451 | 441 | 170 | 179 | +5,2% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Whey powder (HS 0404) |
|
97 | 83 | 90 | 118 | 38 | 41 | +7,6% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Casein (HS 350110) |
|
63 | 61 | 54 | 54 | 23 | 19 | -15,8% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Caseinates (HS 350190) |
|
33 | 32 | 30 | 32 | 9,6 | 12 | +23,1% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211) |
|
24 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 8,5 | 9,6 | +12,2% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Infant milk formula (HS 190110) |
|
88 | 91 | 80 | 96 | 27 | 34 | +27,1% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Fat-Filled Milk Powder (FFMP) (HS 190190) |
|
59 | 59 | 55 | 46 | 18 | 24 | +29,7% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) (HS 350220) |
|
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) |
|
12 | 12 | 11 | 9,0 | 3,3 | 2,3 | -30,6% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211) |
|
104 | 99 | 89 | 101 | 35 | 34 | -3,0% | Jan-Apr 2025 | |
| Cheese (HS 0406) |
|
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
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