The Fonterra system of milk payments differs from the Irish system in that the co-op forecasts the milk price for the season.

It then pays out a percentage of that price on a monthly basis and pays the balance in July when both the cows and cashflow are dry. However, this year, there was a higher forecast and subsequent payout early in the season, which has left no balance for July payout.

Fonterra milk price forecast for the 2014/15 season published in May 2014 was NZ $7/kg milk solids (32 c/l). Due tothe fall in demand and price of dairy commodities worldwide, the co-op revised that forecast down four times since then to NZ $4.50/kg milk solids (20.50 c/l) today.

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New Zealand’s Reserve Bank said this week that there would be more dairy farm foreclosures if product prices remained weak. The country’s Central Bank estimated that about 30% of dairy debt is concentrated among the most indebted 10% of farms.