• Dairy prices post largest fall in two years

• DairyNZ calls for practical implementation of Waikato Plan Change

• Rural Professional Awards nominations open

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Dairy prices post largest fall in two years

Global dairy prices have posted their biggest single-auction decline in two years overnight, with the GDT index falling four-point-nine percent as abundant supply and rising global milk volumes weighed heavily on the market.

Whole milk powder dropped four-point-four percent and skim milk powder plunged seven percent — with volumes of both products more than double the previous auction, highlighting how much extra product is now available globally. Cheddar was the hardest hit, falling twelve-point-three percent to its lowest price since November 2023. Butter dropped five percent and anhydrous milk fat eased three-point-nine percent.

Buttermilk powder was the only bright spot, lifting eight-point-two percent, with mozzarella also gaining three-point-eight percent.

NZX dairy analyst Rosalind Crickett says the result was well and truly expected given the supply abundance in the market and Fonterra's seasonal rise in volumes on the platform, which was met by weaker demand.

DairyNZ calls for practical implementation of Waikato Plan Change

DairyNZ is calling for certainty and workable rules for Waikato dairy farmers following the Environment Court's decision on Plan Change One, with chair Tracy Brown set to attend a farmer meeting in Waikato today.

Brown says farmers should not be forced into costly consent processes or duplication between PC1 and the new resource management system currently under review. She says the priority is one farm plan, clear guidance and workable consenting — not multiple layers of shifting rules.

The decision introduces new resource consent requirements, farm planning obligations and nutrient management requirements for many Waikato dairy farms, with some catchment-specific implementation timeframes creating additional pressure.

Brown acknowledges many farmers are frustrated after more than a decade of hearings and legal process, and says DairyNZ secured a number of improvements through the Environment Court process — including removal of the high-risk dairy consenting pathway and a drafting-gate approach keeping lower-risk farms as permitted activities.

Rural Professional Awards nominations open

Nominations are open for the 2026 Institute of Rural Professionals Awards, recognising the consultants, agronomists, vets, accountants and environmental specialists working on the ground alongside New Zealand farmers every day.

Two categories are on offer — the Rural Professional of the Year Award, supported by Beef and Lamb New Zealand, recognising those with more than five years in the industry who have made a sustained positive impact; and the Emerging Rural Professional of the Year Award, supported by FARMAX and FarmIQ, celebrating innovative professionals with five years or less of experience.

Winners receive three-thousand dollars toward professional development, including overseas study tours, qualifications or research projects.

Applications close Monday July twentieth at irpnz.co.nz, and winners will be announced at the Institute's National Conference Awards Dinner in Wellington on August eighteenth and nineteenth.