UK milk production down 6.7% on the year
© Tim Scrivener UK daily milk deliveries are continuing a downward trend compared with last year, averaging 36.2m litres/day in the two weeks to 10 December, down 6.7% on the same period last year.
Compared with the three-year average, production was 3.4% lower. A similar pattern was seen in GB deliveries, with the daily average falling 7.4% to 30.6m litres/day – 4.1% below the three-year average.
See also: More prices and trends
On a world scale, the latest Global Dairy Trade auction saw the first fall in value since the beginning of October, down 0.5% compared with the previous event, averaging $3,656/t (£2,961.35).
Whole milk powder dropped 0.8% to $3,568/t (£2,891.40), lactose fell 1.6% to $857/t (£694.48), while anhydrous milk fat lost 2.3% to average $5,367/t (£4,349.26).
Butter, buttermilk powder, cheddar, and rennet casein all made gains, up 0.5%, 3.1%, 1.9% and 3.3% respectively. But skimmed milk powder remained unchanged on the last sale at $2,621/t (£2,123.98).
The total volume offered was about 13% lower than the same week last year at 23,760t, with average supply in the fourth quarter of 2016 down 23% on Q3.