Latest from Dairy

Synlait soars on formula

Synlait Milk said it was on track towards racking up its most profitable year ever after a big increase in infant formula sales drove its first-half earnings sharply higher.

Dairy downturn knocks farmers' confidence

New Zealand's rural confidence is close to its lowest point in 10 years, Rabobank said.

Synlait profit jumps on A2 formula sales

Synlait expects premium payments to its farmer suppliers to double, mainly on the back of a boom in infant formula sales.

Damien O'Connor: Dairy crisis not just about farmers

Farmers can't be left to shoulder all the blame and all the loss in these times of crisis for the dairy industry, writes Damien O'Connor. It's time for the banks to front up.

Karicare formula is pulled from China

NZ-made Karicare formula has been pulled out of China, more than two years after the brand took a hammering following the Fonterra botulism scare.

Peter Lyons: Pity the farmers whose misery is theirs alone

COMMENT: Dairy farmers make milk. Banks provide loans. Dairy farmers are part of the private sector. The banks are the same.

Farmers dig in as low price blues roll on

'We are grinning and bearing it." That's how Taranaki sharemilker Charlie McCaig describes how he and his wife Jody are faring with a milk price.

Andrew Grenfell & Conor McElhinney: It's not just dairy farmers struggling

COMMENT: McGrathNicol business partners Andrew Grenfell and Conor McElhinneyrs talk about the flow-on effects of low dairy prices.

The Economy Hub: Fonterra in a race it can't win

Fonterra's increased dividend payment isn't enough for most farmers to pay their interest bill, says Jacqueline Rowarth.

Fonterra's profits soar to $409m

Finally some good news for dairy farmers - Fonterra will be doubling its dividend payout after profits jumped 123 per cent.

Fran O'Sullivan: Fonterra makes the right call

COMMENT: Fonterra has made the right call by accelerating dividend payments instead of extending its dairy farmer shareholders loan package, writes Fran O'Sullivan.

Watch: Timeline of the 1080 scare

He cost the country as much as $40 million. Sales of infant baby formula tanked overnight, particularly to China, the biggest foreign buyer.

Milk formula firm slammed

Infant formula brand Fernbaby is under fire for questionable marketing claims, including a testimonial on its website that suggests the product cured a baby's asthma and bronchitis.

Bryan Gould: Egg on Govt's face from dairy basket

COMMENT: The crisis in the dairy industry is of course a savage blow to many individual dairy farmers.

Fonterra aid for farmers in the wind

Fonterra may dust off last year's support package or boost the percentage of earnings paid as dividends to help farmers hit by the dairy downturn.

Mike's Minute: The positives in farming

What's going on in dairy is fully explainable and virtually none of it is anyone's fault in this country. We've been here before with dairy and without a doubt we will be here again.

Five key questions for Fonterra

Fonterra will unveil a strong half-year financial result on Wednesday, but this will not mute the criticism that has emerged.

Fonterra tipped to make positive result

Cash-strapped dairy farmers can at least look forward to a strong first-half performance from Fonterra when it reports its result this week.