New Zealand milk collections for October fell to their lowest level since 2012 according to the latest figures released by Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ). Total milk supplied by New Zealand dairy farmers for October 2016 was just over 3m tonnes, a 5.5% decline compared with last year.

October is the month of peak milk production in New Zealand and the sharp decline in milk supply reflects the unseasonably wet weather the country experienced this spring. The decline in October collections leaves New Zealand milk production in the season-to-date (June-Oct) at just over 7.3m tonnes, which is 2.4% behind where it was in the 2015 milking season.

When measured in milk solids, New Zealand collections saw an even greater decline, as milk solids collected by New Zealand processors in October were down more than 6% to 247m kg milk solids.