Report 11 – Released on March 14, 2019

AUSTRALIA:

Seasonal milk production in Australia, July 2018 through January 2019, is 5.8 percent lower than last year. January 2019 is 11.0 percent lower than January 2018. This table displays Dairy Australia data July through January.

AUSTRALIA MILK PRODUCTION, MILKFAT and PROTEIN

                            July 2018-January 2019       January 2019
                            Million  Percent Change  Percentage Percentage
     State                  Liters  From 1 Year Ago  Milkfat    Protein
     New South Wales         634.0       -9.8           3.85      3.10
     Victoria              3,704.6       -7.0           4.22      3.26
     Queensland              226.2       -9.9           3.96      3.23
     South Australia         309.4       +2.2           3.81      3.16
     Western Australia       228.4       -2.3           3.98      3.15
     Tasmania                582.8       +4.0           4.30      3.37
     Australia (Total)     5,685.3       -5.8           4.14*     3.24**

     *  +1.2 percent from prior year period
     ** -1.6 percent from prior year period

     Data from Dairy Australia

NEW ZEALAND:
New Zealand weather since late February has been good. The year started dryer than desired for dairy producers. Impacts were varied. Farms without irrigation, or with limited irrigation, suffered more than irrigated farms. Rains through last weekend have begun to turn pastures tending toward brown, toward a green tinge.
Recent conditions before the rains might take a slight toll on hay and feed grain harvests. There is expected to be a lag of a month or so until more precise estimates can be made.
At the present time, there is adequate feed on most dairy farms. Many dairy producers have already begun the later season transition from two milkings a day, to one milking. In preparation for winding down the season, some older cows with lower production have been culled out of herds.
Information for the period March 4 – 15, 2019, issued biweekly

Published by:
     Dairy Market News - Madison, WI
     Eric Graf, 608.422.8590
     Email: eric.graf@ams.usda.gov

     Additional Dairy Market News Information:
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     DMN Website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/dairy
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     DMN Database Portal: https://www.marketnews.usda.gov/mnp/da-home