MD_DA120 Oceania Dairy Market Overview Report 49 - Released on December 5, 2019 AUSTRALIA: Milk production in Australia during October was 5.5 percent below October last year, according to Dairy Australia. More detailed production data for the first four months of the season are in the table which follows. AUSTRALIA MILK PRODUCTION, MILKFAT and PROTEIN July - October 2019 October 2019 Million Percent Change Percentage State Liters From 1 Year Ago Milkfat Protein New South Wales 374.0 -7.3 3.89 3.29 Victoria 2,078.4 -5.3 3.80 3.35 Queensland 114.6 -14.5 3.91 3.25 South Australia 153.9 -10.7 3.64 3.33 Western Australia 127.4 -3.6 3.78 3.35 Tasmania 265.7 -1.0 3.96 3.46 Australia (Total) 3,113.9 -5.8 3.83* 3.35** * -1.6 percent from prior year period ** -0.7 percent from prior year period Data from Dairy Australia The fires burning in Australia for weeks continue to be a big problem. They are beyond the ability of firefighters to exert much control. Substantial rainfall would help. For now, great anxiety is present. NEW ZEALAND: Milk production in New Zealand is on the downward slope from the seasonal peak. While recent official data for October showed lower milk solids and production from October 2019, New Zealand based observers caution not to interpret that too simplistically. They note that 2018 production through October was quite high in a historical context. That diminishes the simple comparison as meaning that current production is disappointing. Within the dairy industry in New Zealand, many people are at ease with 2019 milk production. Recent weather conditions have been viewed as decent for this time of year. Forage quality is viewed as pretty good for dairy producers. The biggest variable now is the pace of the decline in milk production from the seasonal peak, to the end of the season. Information for the period November 25 - December 6, 2019, issued biweekly Published by: Dairy Market News - Madison, WI Eric Graf, 608.422.8590 Email: Eric.Graf@usda.gov Additional Dairy Market News Information: Dairy Market News (DMN) by Phone: (608)422-8602 DMN Website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/dairy DMN MARS (My Market News): https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov