Domestic Market Updates
Track Australian dairy market updates for some of the latest developments in production, trade and retail sales.
Check out the video for regular developments in dairy markets that affect milk prices in Australia.
Saputo workers walk off
Workers at Saputo’s Burnie cheese plant have walked off the job, with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) claiming maintenance workers at the site are paid 21% less than their mainland counterparts. The AMWU puts the gap between Tasmanian and mainland...
Cattle Market Steadies
Cattle markets have steadies in 2024 after the wild swings of 2023 and 2022. The EYCI is still weaker than YOY, but according to Mercado better prices are likely over the coming weeks, with current fundamentals it making “prices tanking in the same fashion they did...
Warmer Oceans Influencing Weather Outlook
Below median rainfall is expected for some regions in the south, with equal chance of above and below median rainfall for most of the country from May to July The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) latest long-range forecast is for warmer than median temperatures for almost...
Victoria Agrees to Revamped MDB Plan
After refusing an extended $13bn Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) last year, Victoria has changed its tune, while affirming the state’s stance against voluntary water purchasing from farmers. By agreeing to the plan, Victoria’s water minister Harriet Shing has...
Review Calls for Mandatory Supermarket Code
An interim report recommending a mandatory code of conduct for supermarkets with hefty financial penalties for breaches has been delivered to the Australian Government. The review recommended current voluntary guidelines be made into legally-binding obligations....
Consumer Sentiment Stays Negative
After rising sharply earlier this year, consumer sentiment is falling, recording its second consecutive fall in April. The Westpac-Melbourne Institute consumer sentiment index declined 2.4% points from the prior month to 82.4 in April. It’s the longest time the index...
Lactalis to close Echuca site
Lactalis will close its Echuca factory, putting more than 70 jobs at risk. However the French-owned company will invest $85m over the next three years in its other Victorian sites. A detailed review of operations led to a plan for one regional hub in the state, and...
Australian milk up 8.7% in February
National milk production rose 8.7% YOY in February, bringing season to date output 3.1% ahead. In releasing the data, Dairy Australia noted the impact of a an extra day to February collections, with the leap year adjusted increase around 5%. Victoria led the way, up...
Australian inflation holds for third month in a row
Annual inflation was steady at 3.4% in the 12 months to February, 0.1% lower than forecast, as measured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) monthly consumer price index. Food prices are easing as overall inflation in food and beverages rose 3.6% in the 12...
Australian consumer confidence dips again
Consumer sentiment has weakened according to Westpac-Melbourne Institute index, which fell 1.8% to 84.4, from the February reading. The 12-month outlook for the economy was down 4.5% and the 5-year outlook rose 1.1%. The measure for household finances also fell 1.4%...