Australian milk production was flat in the first month of the 2023/24 season according to Dairy Australia, lifting 0.1% YOY in July. Despite lifting marginally YOY July production is down 7.2% compared to the 2021/22 season.

Milk production rose in most states, except Victoria where production was down 2.4% YOY in July. Output in Gippsland lifted 2.4% YOY, but it was not enough to offset a 4.7% YOY decline in Victoria’s west and a 3.4% drop in Northern Victoria. NSW production lifted 8.6% YOY in July and output in Queensland jumped 11.4% YOY. In South Australia, output rose 0.8% YOY, while Tasmania’s production edged up 0.5% YOY in July.

Meanwhile, Fonterra’s latest Global Dairy Update reported July milk collections lifted 6.3% YOY for the Australian business in July as new suppliers were recruited for the 2023/24 season and weather patterns returned to “normal”. Fonterra also reported its milk collections fell 5% YOY in the 2022/23 season, while June milk collections were up 1.2% YOY as production lifted in Northern Victoria and Gippsland.