# Dairy prices surge 15 percent in global auction | RNZ

> Global Dairy Trade auction prices rose 15 percent to a seven-year high, with the average at US$4,231 a tonne. Whole milk powder jumped 21 percent and butter rose 13.7 percent, with strong buying from North Asia. Buyers were stocking up partly to offset Covid-related shipping delays.

- Date: 2021-03-02 · published 2021-03-02T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region New Zealand · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/7527-dairy-prices-surge-15-percent-in-global-auction-rnz
- Commodities: [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md)

## Why it matters

Strong Chinese demand and high feed costs for corn and soymeal in China point to firm dairy prices, while the feed-cost rise adds to pressure on livestock producers. The move lifts expected farmgate milk payouts for New Zealand farmers.

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MILK | 2021-03-03 | 1 | +4.8% | 4.2 | The 15% GDT auction jump on March 2 (WMP +21%, butter +13.7%) with strong North Asian demand lifted global dairy price expectations and fed into US Class III futures the next session. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MILK | 2026-06-02 | [Fall in dairy auction prices mars start of season \| RNZ](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7959-fall-in-dairy-auction-prices-mars-start-of-season-rnz.md) | -4.7% | -5.4% |
| MILK | 2016-08-02 | [Strong increase in dairy prices at latest Global Dairy Trade auction - Agriland.ie](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6036-strong-increase-in-dairy-prices-at-latest-global-dairy-trade-auction-agriland-ie.md) | +12.3% | +10.9% |
| MILK | 2018-09-06 | [Global dairy prices take a hit \| 2018-09-06  \| Dairy Foods](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63186-global-dairy-prices-take-a-hit-2018-09-06-dairy-foods.md) | -2.5% | -4.5% |
| MILK | 2020-08-05 | [Dairy prices plummet at GDT auction as China demand slackens](https://feedsoft.ai/events/8829-dairy-prices-plummet-at-gdt-auction-as-china-demand-slackens.md) | -21.0% | -19.2% |
| MILK | 2016-08-03 | [Dairy prices shoot up](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6033-dairy-prices-shoot-up.md) | +11.8% | +10.8% |

## Sources

- en.edairynews.com: https://en.edairynews.com/dairy-prices-surge-15-percent-in-global-auction/
- rnz.co.nz: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/437517/dairy-prices-surge-15-percent-in-global-auction

---
Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.