Milk production lagging in Australia

Australia has not had a strong start to its milk production season.  During the first quarter of the 2013/14 season just 2,273.3 million litres was collected by dairy companies, 3.8% less than during the same time last season.   Production is trailing last season right across the country with output subdued in all six states.  Production in Victoria, the main milk producing state in Australia, is down by 3.3% this season. Victoria typically accounts for about 2/3rds of Australia’s total milk output and the bulk of the dairy commodities exported come from this state.  Output is particularly weak in Western Victoria where production is down 7.3% for the season to date after a particularly poor start to the season back in July. Production in Northern Victoria is slightly ahead on a year-to-date basis (+0.8%) but data for September trailed the same month last season (-0.7%). Meanwhile in Eastern Victoria (Gippsland) production was behind last season (-2%) across the first three months of the season (July – September).