Milch Cockpit, 18.01.2019

(AMI) - The dairy price index, calculated by the FAO, fell for the seventh consecutive month in December 2018. As a reason for the declining tendencies, the FAO is above all the world's increased export offer. Especially from New Zealand was in December more goods on the world market. As a result, international prices for butter, cheese and whole milk powder continued to be under pressure in December. The price trend for skimmed milk powder was different. At the end of the year, firmer trends were supported by a rise in global demand for imports. The price of skimmed milk powder has also stabilized at a low level towards the end of the year on the German market. In the year under review 2018, the index also missed the previous year's level. At 192.9 points, the decline amounted to 4.6%. According to the FAO, the backlog of declining prices of all dairy products included in the index (skimmed milk and whole milk powder, butter and cheese) is lagging behind in the second half of the year. By contrast, rising trends prevailed in the first half of the year and the index reached its high for the year at around 215 points in May. Since June, however, the index has been falling.2019 starts with firmer tendencies At the beginning of the year, on the other hand, firmer trends prevailed on the world market, some of which had already begun by the end of 2018. In the case of the GlobalDairyTrade tender in New Zealand, the price index determined for all traded products increased by 4.2% at the second auction of the year on 15/01/2019. Thus, the plus has increased in comparison to the past auction. At the same time, the amount traded fell to 27,909 t. At the product level, firmer trends were evident across all products. The biggest increase was registered by skimmed milk powder of around 10% compared to the previous auction. In addition, prices for butter, cheddar and milk powder also increased. Only lactose just missed the price level of the previous month.