Domestic Market Updates
Track Australian dairy market updates for some of the latest developments in production, trade and retail sales.
Australian Cheese, SMP Exports Soar
Total November exports increased 8% YOY in milk solids equivalent (MSE) terms. Cheese exports rose 16.9% YOY for the month to 18,020t (highest volume since December 2017), led by stronger shipments to China & HK but also with growth into Japan and SE Asia. SMP...
Consumer Sentiment Slide
Dim views on the near-term outlook are negatively affecting the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment, which fell 1.7% to 92.9 January. Concerns about what 2026 has in store for family finances and the wider economy are dragging down the index. Expectations...
Cow Culling Declined
Saleyard transactions of dairy cow culls as reported by the National Livestock Reporting Service (NLRS) increased 18% YOY for the season-to-date (July-December). December alone was -7% YOY. The saleyard average price peaked in November at 370c/kg liveweight before...
Australia November Milk Output Fell
Dairy Australia (DA) reported a 2.2% YOY drop in November milk output in data released just before Christmas. For the season, milk production is trailing –2.3% behind the prior year comparable. Milk production continued to trend below the prior season in the southern...
Australian Consumer Prices Lift
Newly-released consumer price data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows CPI rose 3.4% on the year to November, down from +3.8% in the 12 months to October—driven by price hikes in housing (+5.2%), alcoholic beverages (+3.3%) and transportation (+2.7%)....
Consumer Moods Decline
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index dipped 9% to 94.5 in December, after rising to 103.8 in November. The index has zig-zagged over the past few months but will conclude 2025 in cautiously pessimistic territory—an improvement from the prolonged,...
DA: Fewer Farms, Less Milk in 2024/25
The latest In Focus publication from Dairy Australia shows interesting but not surprising trends across the dairy industry. The report reveals Australian farmgate milk prices remained high, averaging $9.35kgMS in 2024/25. The price eased from the two prior seasons,...
BoM; Warmer Summer Ahead
Australia shows below-average rainfall is expected for most of the country’s west and inland eastern parts. Along the east coast in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, clear signals are absent with equal chances for above- and below-average rainfall. Temperatures...
Dairy Australia: Milk Output Expected to Decline 2%
National milk production is forecast to ease by about 2% in the 2025–26 season, down to about 8.15bn litres. This will be driven by a smaller herd, farm exits and persistent cost pressures despite improved seasonal conditions in some regions. Feed costs have eased...
Peak Milk Declines
Australian milk production declined 2.4% YOY in October on a difficult-to-beat year-ago comparable. Seasonal production is now tracking 2.3% behind the prior year with peak production in the rearview mirror. October output fell year-over-year across most states. In...