Dairy industry news

Raw milk rises for the second month running to €0.474/litre in September

According to delivery declarations to the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, the average price in Spain rose from €0.469/l in August to €0.474/l in September, after hitting the year’s low in July (€0.465/l).

Deliveries totalled 596,601 tonnes, up 1.4%, and from January to September they reach about 5,695 million kilos (+1.7%). By region: Galicia €0.455/l, Castile and León €0.487/l, Cantabria €0.496/l and the Basque Country €0.502/l.

Fonterra auction: third rise in a row, led by milk powders

Whole milk powder +5.9% ($3,971/t), skimmed +3.1% ($4,109/t), cheddar +8.6% and mozzarella +5.8%. Butter falls 4.7% ($4,503/t). Average price: $4,166/t.

Netherlands: milk powders and butter keep rising

ZuivelNL quotation for week 45: butter €375/100 kg (+3), whole milk powder 384 (+3), food-grade skimmed milk powder 371 (+2) and whey powder 164 (unchanged).

Europe: milk powder gains strength while butter loses momentum

EU reference (26 Oct–1 Nov): skimmed milk powder €3,427/t (+0.4%) and butter €3,957/t (−2.5%). On the spot market, food-grade skimmed milk powder rises €50 to €3,715/t.

Spain produces more milk but pays 5.5 cents less than a year ago

September’s 47.4 cents is 10.4% below 2025 and the lowest September price since 2022. Deliveries are up 1.7% year to date and 8,395 dairy farms remain, 373 fewer than in December.

Galicia: processors propose a 2–3 cent milk price rise from December

After a 7–8 cent cut in April, the price fell slightly below 45 cents. Farmers see the rise as insufficient: costs (diesel, fertiliser, electricity) are rising and feed is expected to be dearer from January.

FrieslandCampina raises its November milk price for the fourth month running

The guaranteed price for November is €47.00/100 kg, €1.50 more than in October. The cooperative attributes this mainly to the strong protein market.

FeNIL proposes eight measures to strengthen the Spanish dairy industry

Imports already cover more than 30% of demand and the dairy trade deficit (492,355 t and €1.5 bn) is the largest in the EU. In cheese, Spain imported 434,844 t and exported 131,696 t.

Bluetongue and EHD: new protocol for moving livestock

The Spanish Ministry replaces zone-based restrictions with a risk assessment based on vaccination, diagnostic tests and protection against vectors. It covers cattle and sheep, including movements to other EU countries.

Spain’s 2027 flat-rate income tax: general 10% cut for farming

The Spanish Treasury has published the 2027 flat-rate order in the Official Gazette (BOE), with a general 10% reduction in net income from farming activities.

Gamonéu del Puertu, an €80-a-kilo cheese fighting to survive

This PDO Asturian cheese, made from raw cow, sheep and goat milk, has only three producers left. New cheesemakers have spent years unable to obtain permits to open dairies in the Picos de Europa.