Data released by the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) shows that 138,067,000 kg of milksolids (MS) were collected by NZ dairy companies during April 2015. Output was 9% above the same month last season and 19% above the five-year average.
The only season when NZ produced more milk in April was in 2012, when late summer and autumn conditions for pasture growth were exceptionally good.
Milk production has not been impacted by the elevated number of cows culled this season. See "NZ cow slaughter on record-breaking run" for more details.
Milk production across the entire 2014-15 season is estimated by AgriHQ to be approximately 3% above year-ago levels.
Click here to access the AgriHQ NZ Milk Production Predictor