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 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022 | % | Period | ||
(Dairy Season)1) | (2018/19) | (2019/20) | (2020/21) | (2021/22) | ||||||
Dairy cows ('000 head)1) | 4.946 | 4.922 | 4.904 | |||||||
± % from previous dairy season | -0,5% | -0,4% | ||||||||
Average litres per cow 1) | 4.290 | 4.296 | 4.426 | |||||||
± % from previous dairy season | +0,1% | +3,0% | ||||||||
Milk production (Source: DCANZ) | 21.947 | 21.787 | 21.871 | 21.884 | 8.972 | 8.480 | -5,5% | Jan-Jun 2022 | ||
Milkfat (%) a) 1) | 4,72 | 4,74 | 4,75 | |||||||
Protein (%) a) 1) | 3,84 | 3,87 | 3,87 | |||||||
Farm-gate prices of raw milk (€ x 100 kg, VAT not included) m.g. 4.2%, prot. 3.4% |
30,29 | 29,98 | 30,33 | 36,65 | 34,28 | 43,72 | +27,5% | Jan-Jun 2022 | ||
± % Over the same period of the previous year | -1,0% | +1,2% | +20,8% | |||||||
$/Kg milksolids ** 1)
![]() |
6,35 | 7,20 | 7,75 | |||||||
DAIRY PRODUCTION | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022(f) | % | Period | ||
Liquid milk (Source: FAS-USDA) | 515 | 520 | 525 | 530 | 530 | 535 | +0,9% | Jan-Dec 2022 | Cheese (Source: FAS-USDA) | 370 | 365 | 350 | 380 | 380 | 375 | -1,3% | Jan-Dec 2022 | Butter (Source: FAS-USDA) | 550 | 525 | 500 | 470 | 470 | 480 | +2,1% | Jan-Dec 2022 | SMP (Source: FAS-USDA) | 410 | 375 | 362 | 330 | 330 | 350 | +6,1% | Jan-Dec 2022 | WMP (Source: FAS-USDA) | 1.450 | 1.490 | 1.570 | 1.600 | 1.600 | 1.530 | -4,4% | Jan-Dec 2022 |
EXPORT | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022 | % | Period | ||
Bulk and packed milk (HS 040110+040120) |
|
238 | 260 | 243 | 269 | 133 | 135 | +1,7% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Cream (HS 040130+040140+040150) |
|
97 | 127 | 136 | 170 | 81 | 73 | -10,0% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Yogurt e buttermilk (HS 0403) |
|
40 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 21 | 18 | -12,5% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Butter (HS 0405) |
|
456 | 464 | 425 | 398 | 224 | 226 | +0,9% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
of which: | ||||||||||
Anhydrous Milk Fat (HS 040590) |
|
191 | 191 | 190 | 163 | 97 | 97 | -0,1% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Cheese (HS 0406) |
|
322 | 335 | 327 | 358 | 198 | 174 | -12,2% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
WMP (whole milk powder - HS 040221+040229) |
|
1.369 | 1.536 | 1.533 | 1.617 | 883 | 680 | -23,0% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
SMP (skimmed milk powder - HS 040210) |
|
358 | 373 | 356 | 326 | 172 | 177 | +2,9% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Whey powder (HS 0404) |
|
94 | 91 | 87 | 97 | 51 | 48 | -6,8% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Casein (HS 350110) |
|
57 | 57 | 50 | 63 | 34 | 33 | -4,1% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Caseinates (HS 350190) |
|
30 | 30 | 36 | 33 | 17 | 17 | -4,5% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211) |
|
23 | 22 | 26 | 24 | 14 | 16 | +8,5% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Infant milk formula (HS 190110) |
|
97 | 117 | 101 | 88 | 44 | 41 | -6,4% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Fat-Filled Milk Powder (FFMP) (HS 190190) |
|
53 | 59 | 74 | 59 | 37 | 36 | -1,7% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) (HS 350220) |
|
21 | 19 | 21 | 27 | 14 | 12 | -17,1% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
IMPORT | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022 | % | Period | ||
Whey powder (HS 0404) |
|
36 | 27 | 22 | 12 | 6,7 | 3,0 | -54,4% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Lactose pharmaceutical (HS 170211) |
|
86 | 118 | 122 | 104 | 49 | 51 | +2,5% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
Cheese (HS 0406) |
|
12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 5,1 | 4,7 | -8,2% | Jan-Jun 2022 | |
DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION (Source: FAS-USDA) | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022(f) | % | Period | ||
Cheese | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | +2,6% | Jan-Dec 2022 | Butter | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 34 | +9,7% | Jan-Dec 2022 | SMP | 5,0 | 7,0 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 0,0% | Jan-Dec 2022 | WMP | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 0,0% | Jan-Dec 2022 |
PER CAPITA CONSUMPTIONS (kg) | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022(f) | % | Period | ||
Cheese | 8,01 | 7,94 | 7,88 | 7,82 | ||||||
Butter | 6,11 | 6,06 | 6,22 | 6,38 | ||||||
SMP | 1,05 | 1,46 | 2,90 | 3,09 | ||||||
WMP | 4,22 | 4,18 | 3,73 | 3,70 | ||||||
SOCIO-ECONOMIC INDICATORS | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022(f) | % | Period | ||
Population ('000) | 4.743 | 4.783 | 4.822 | 4.861 | ||||||
GDP per capita (U.S. dollars) | 42.804 | 42.166 | 41.127 (e) | |||||||
GDP per capita (€) * | 36.245 | 37.664 | 35.983(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: 2021-12-02