Fonterra whole milk powder prices rise 4.4%

Fonterra's latest auction saw whole milk powder prices rise by 4.4%, averaging US$ 3,760 per ton. The auction involved 42,088 tons of traded volume, with Fonterra offering 22,610 tons. Future deliveries for December and January also closed higher, at US$ 3,741 and US$ 3,750 per ton, respectively.

In the dairy farming sector, total costs reached US$ 2,672 per hectare in October 2026, up from US$ 2,591 per hectare the previous year. While costs in dollars have increased due to higher prices for balanced feed, corn silage, and labor, the cost expressed in liters of milk has decreased from 7,897 to 7,465 liters per hectare. This decrease is attributed to the milk price rising from US$ 0.33 to US$ 0.36 per liter over the same period.