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 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | % | Period | ||
(Dairy Season)1) | (2019/20) | (2020/21) | (2021/22) | (2022/23) | ||||||
Dairy cows ('000 head)1) | 4.922 | 4.904 | 4.842 | |||||||
± % from previous dairy season | -0,4% | -1,3% | ||||||||
Average litres per cow 1) | 4.296 | 4.426 | 4.291 | |||||||
± % from previous dairy season | +3,0% | -3,1% | ||||||||
Milk production (Source: DCANZ) | 21.787 | 21.871 | 21.884 | 21.051 | 10.097 | 10.302 | +2,0% | Jan-Aug 2023 | ||
Milkfat (%) a) 1) | 4,74 | 4,75 | 4,77 | |||||||
Protein (%) a) 1) | 3,87 | 3,87 | 3,86 | |||||||
Farm-gate prices of raw milk (€ x 100 kg, VAT not included) m.g. 4.2%, prot. 3.4% |
29,98 | 30,33 | 36,65 | 42,75 | 43,58 | 35,30 | -19,0% | Jan-Jul 2023 | ||
± % Over the same period of the previous year | +1,2% | +20,8% | +16,7% | |||||||
$/Kg milksolids ** 1)
![]() |
7,21 | 7,76 | 9,52 | |||||||
DAIRY PRODUCTION | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023(f) | % | Period | ||
Liquid milk (Source: FAS-USDA) | 520 | 525 | 530 | 535 | 535 | 535 | 0,0% | Jan-Dec 2023 | Cheese (Source: FAS-USDA) | 365 | 350 | 380 | 375 | 375 | 400 | +6,7% | Jan-Dec 2023 | Butter (Source: FAS-USDA) | 525 | 500 | 470 | 500 | 500 | 530 | +6,0% | Jan-Dec 2023 | SMP (Source: FAS-USDA) | 375 | 362 | 330 | 390 | 390 | 390 | 0,0% | Jan-Dec 2023 | WMP (Source: FAS-USDA) | 1.490 | 1.570 | 1.600 | 1.400 | 1.400 | 1.450 | +3,6% | Jan-Dec 2023 |
EXPORT | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | % | Period | ||
Bulk and packed milk (HS 040110+040120) |
|
260 | 243 | 269 | 271 | 176 | 155 | -11,7% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Cream (HS 040130+040140+040150) |
|
127 | 136 | 170 | 156 | 88 | 106 | +20,7% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Yogurt e buttermilk (HS 0403) |
|
36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 23 | 27 | +17,0% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Butter (HS 0405) |
|
464 | 425 | 398 | 451 | 288 | 317 | +10,1% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
of which: | ||||||||||
Anhydrous Milk Fat (HS 040590) |
|
191 | 190 | 163 | 191 | 125 | 136 | +8,8% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Cheese (HS 0406) |
|
335 | 327 | 358 | 340 | 220 | 261 | +18,7% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) |
|
1.536 | 1.533 | 1.617 | 1.328 | 848 | 856 | +0,9% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) |
|
373 | 356 | 326 | 357 | 213 | 293 | +37,9% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Whey powder (HS 0404) |
|
91 | 87 | 97 | 83 | 56 | 63 | +13,4% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Casein (HS 350110) |
|
57 | 50 | 63 | 61 | 41 | 34 | -17,4% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Caseinates (HS 350190) |
|
30 | 36 | 33 | 32 | 21 | 20 | -3,7% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211) |
|
22 | 26 | 24 | 28 | 19 | 21 | +11,5% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) |
|
117 | 101 | 88 | 91 | 58 | 51 | -11,5% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Fat-Filled Milk Powder (FFMP) (HS 190190) |
|
59 | 74 | 59 | 59 | 42 | 38 | -10,6% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) (HS 350220) |
|
19 | 21 | 27 | 22 | 15 | 15 | +5,5% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
IMPORT | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023 | % | Period | ||
Whey powder (HS 0404) |
|
27 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 4,7 | 7,9 | +66,4% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211) |
|
118 | 122 | 104 | 99 | 70 | 55 | -21,9% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
Cheese (HS 0406) |
|
13 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 6,4 | 9,7 | +50,6% | Jan-Aug 2023 | |
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (Source: FAS-USDA) | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023(f) | % | Period | ||
Cheese | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 40 | +2,6% | Jan-Dec 2023 | Butter | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 0,0% | Jan-Dec 2023 | SMP | 7,0 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 0,0% | Jan-Dec 2023 | WMP | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 0,0% | Jan-Dec 2023 |
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS (kg) | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023(f) | % | Period | ||
Cheese | 7,66 | 7,51 | 7,41 | 7,52 | ||||||
Butter | 5,85 | 5,93 | 6,04 | 6,17 | ||||||
SMP | 1,41 | 2,77 | 2,92 | 2,89 | ||||||
WMP | 4,03 | 3,56 | 3,51 | 3,47 | ||||||
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022 | 2023(f) | % | Period | ||
Population ('000) | 4.959 | 5.061 | 5.130 | 5.185 | ||||||
GDP per capita (U.S. dollars) | 42.329 | 41.428 | 48.424 (e) | 49.847 (e) | ||||||
GDP per capita (€) * | 37.810 | 36.246 | 40.942(e) | 47.336(e) | ||||||
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

Dairy production: FAS-USDA
Import/Export: Stat.nz
Consumption: FAS-USDA
GDP per capita: International Monetary Found
Population: FAO
Last update: 19-04-2023