New Zealand dairy farmers produced just under 2.9bn litres of milk in November, according to the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ). This represents a 4% increase on the same month last year but is slightly lower (0.5%) than November 2015.

The end of November is the midpoint of New Zealand’s milking season. For the first six months of the 2017/18 season (June-November) New Zealand milk production stands at just over 10bn litres. This is 1.8% ahead of the same period last year.

2017 has been a year of extremes for New Zealand farmers. August and September proved to be some of the wettest months on record, with conditions finally improving in late spring (October) prompting strong grass growth. However, reports from New Zealand this week suggest that summer has come earlier than expected and many farmers are now battling drought issues.