It’s an uncertain future for farmers, with global events making it harder to predict the milk price.
Fonterra's midpoint payout forecast for the current season is $9.70.
It's slightly up for next season, at $9.75, but it's signalling that could be as low as $8 or as high as $11.
Dairy NZ Chief Executive Campbell Parker told Mike Hosking the gap is mirroring the current volatility, with the top end of last year about $10.
LISTEN ABOVE

Mike's Minute: Our access to Australia could soon be limited
02:22

Nick Brunsdon: Infometrics Principal Economist and Lead Demographer on our natural population growth falling to its lowest point since WWII
06:04

Pollies: National's Mark Mitchell and Labour's Ginny Andersen on Labour ruling out tax policies from other parties, election campaigning
11:02