Production volume of milk in New Zealand 2013-2023

New Zealand is one of the world’s largest milk producers in the world, with the reputation of producing and supplying quality dairy products. In 2023, approximately 21.2 million metric tons of milk had been produced in New Zealand. 

Dairy nation

As well as milk, various other dairy products are produced in vast quantities in the country such as milk powders, butter, cream, cheese, and infant formula. In fact, New Zealand is one of the major cheese-producing countries globally. While most of the dairy products produced in the country are exported, there is also a high domestic consumption of milk. At around 535 thousand metric tons in 2023, New Zealanders were among the largest consumers of fresh white milk in the world when considering the population size. 

Fonterra Co-operative Group 

Fonterra, a New Zealand-based multinational dairy co-operative, is responsible for almost a third of the world’s market share of dairy exports. Fonterra is one of New Zealand’s biggest companies; in fiscal year 2023, Fonterra’s sales revenue exceeded 24 billion New Zealand dollars. For the same fiscal year, Fonterra Group announced a net profit after tax of 336 million New Zealand dollars, significantly lower than the previous years' values.