sign up log in
Want to go ad-free? Find out how, here.

Despite lower volumes offered on auction platform, more products sold at premium prices direct to customers

Rural News
Despite lower volumes offered on auction platform, more products sold at premium prices direct to customers

Content supplied by Fonterra

Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited today announced it has exported record volumes for the month of December 2015.

Export data for the Co-operative in December confirms the new record for a single month’s volume, with more than 300,000 MT shipped to its global markets.

December’s volume was approximately 10 per cent higher than Fonterra’s previous record month in December 2014.

Fonterra Managing Director for Global Ingredients, Kelvin Wickham said the new record reflected the ongoing successful performance of Fonterra’s direct-to-customer ingredients, consumer and foodservice sales despite the tough global market environment.

“This is an excellent achievement by our sales and logistics teams and it is gratifying to finish 2015 on a high with this record export volume.

“We have seen unprecedented global volatility due to geopolitical events over the past year. The dairy market has been a tough environment globally, so we are pleased to achieve record export volumes despite the challenges.”

Mr Wickham said the new benchmark would be difficult to surpass as reduced milk volumes began to impact on the Co-operative’s production levels.

Fonterra is forecasting a year-on-year reduction of milk volumes by at least 6 per cent this season as farmers responded to the low milk price environment and dry conditions impacted parts of New Zealand.

Since August 2015, Fonterra has reduced the amount of whole milk powder it expects to offer on the GlobalDairyTrade (GDT) platform over the next 12 months by 146,000 metric tonnes in response to a change in product mix away from base milk powders and continued successful contracting and demand through other sales channels.

“An increased portion of product is being sold through bilateral customer agreements for a premium on prices achieved on GDT. Ingredients inventory levels for the first quarter were in line with the same period last year,” said Mr Wickham.

We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment.

Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.

8 Comments

Can I assume that this article is flawed in some way because no one has reacted positively to them kicking the auction habit and improving direct sales?
Or are we all just a bunch of knockers and drama queens?

Up
0

agree auctions are only a good sales method in rising markets, for falling markets or steady markets negotiation is the preferred method

Up
0

That presumably depends on whether you're a buyer or a seller?

Up
0

Positive reaction towards Fonterra is a bit of an anathema with NZ public and MSM, positively wall street. ;-)

Up
0

Now we have a devalued and devaluing Yuan which obviuosly buys less NZ$ so are we to expect less investment from China into our property market ?
If that is the case and Chinese investment has been an important factor in Auckland property price rises then is it reasonable to assume that we are at the top of the property cycle?
Do Sydney statistics also not seem to be pointing at a property downturn starting?

Up
0

Sharetrader, i take your point about the need to determine a fair price but i feel the auction system encourages risk taking.
Perhaps we could encourage production targets to fill the contractual needs.

A perfect world..

Up
0

Casual Observer,
Several NZ quangos behave like teenagers in my opinion.
So criticise them when necessary and praise if it is possible would be a strategy.

Up
0

dairy farm prices dropped 10% in the last 3 months, they are depreciating at about 3% per month

Up
0