Milk Supply Stable Despite West Asia Tensions

India’s milk supply remains uninterrupted and prices of milk and dairy products have stayed stable despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, the government has confirmed, underscoring the resilience of the domestic dairy ecosystem. The assurance comes amid concerns that global disruptions could impact food supply chains and pricing across essential commodities. Officials highlighted that…

Dairy Sector Faces Near-Term Stress, Long-Term Upside

The dairy sector is currently navigating a phase of short-term volatility even as strong structural fundamentals continue to support long-term growth, according to a recent analysis by Moneycontrol. Weather uncertainty, rising input costs, and tight milk supply are exerting pressure on margins, creating a challenging near-term outlook for producers and processors. (Moneycontrol) In the immediate…

Agri Exports Grow Just 2% to $25.7B in FY26

India’s agricultural and processed food exports registered modest growth of just 2% year-on-year to reach $25.71 billion in FY2025-26, reflecting the impact of geopolitical disruptions and shifting global demand dynamics. The slowdown was largely driven by a sharp decline in rice exports—India’s largest agri-export segment—which fell 7.5% to $11.53 billion, with March shipments alone dropping…

India Eyes 1/3 Global Milk Share in Next Decade

India is poised to dramatically reshape the global dairy landscape, with Jayen Mehta stating that the country could handle one-third of the world’s milk production within the next decade, driven by scale, cooperative strength, and policy push. The projection signals a significant jump from India’s current ~25% share of global milk output, reinforcing its position…

NZ Dairy Farmers Set for Multi-Billion Windfall

New Zealand dairy farmers are set to receive a record multi-billion-dollar, tax-free capital payout following the sale of Fonterra Co-operative Group’s consumer brands business, with proceeds from the NZ$4.2 billion deal being distributed to around 8,000 farmer-shareholders. The average payout is estimated at about NZ$400,000 per farm, marking one of the largest cash injections into…

NZ First opposes India FTA over dairy concerns

New Zealand’s political party New Zealand First has strongly opposed the proposed India–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), citing major concerns over dairy access and immigration concessions. Party leader and Foreign Minister Winston Peters described the deal as “neither free nor fair,” arguing that while New Zealand would significantly open its market to Indian goods,…

Rising Input Costs May Push Milk Prices Up

India’s dairy sector is bracing for a potential milk price hike as input costs surge sharply, with industry players indicating that a revision in consumer prices may soon become unavoidable. Leading dairies in Maharashtra are set to hold a key meeting, with 40–50 members from Pune, Kolhapur and Sangli expected to participate, collectively handling around…

Polymer Crunch to Push Milk Prices Up

A sharp shortage of polymers used in packaging is set to drive up prices of packaged milk and other essentials, as disruptions in raw material supply and energy inputs hit India’s plastic manufacturing ecosystem. The crisis is linked to reduced availability of key inputs like polypropylene and polyethylene, widely used in milk pouches and food…

Can Indian Dairy Grow Without More Milk?

India’s dairy sector is facing a critical question—whether the industry can continue expanding without significantly increasing milk production volumes. India is already the world’s largest milk producer, with output rising from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-15 to about 239.30 million tonnes in 2023-24, reflecting strong growth over the past decade. However, experts argue that future…