Milk production in New Zealand during the month of September was exceptional. A total of 213.6 million kilograms of milksolids (kgMS) was collected by NZ dairy companies during September 2013, a 8.3% increase from the same month in 2012.
Growth in milk output for the season from June – September now sits at 7.2% above the same period last season. A total of 350.4 million kgMS was processed in NZ during the first 4 months of the 2013/14 dairy season. Fonterra collected 308 million kgMS during the first 4 months of the season accounting for 88% of all the milk supplied during this time. During October Fonterra collected a further 223 million kgMS which indicates total production for NZ that month would be in excess of 250 million kgMS. Fonterra’s milk intakes grew by 3.7% during the month of October.
Milk production peaked in late October and daily intake levels are now steadily declining. Growth rates for milk production during the months of November and December are expected to be much lower than they were during the early spring period. But into 2014 growth rates are expected to increase again relative to last season due to the comparison being against a drought season.
Source: ADPI