# Fall in dairy auction prices mars start of season | RNZ

> The Global Dairy Trade price index fell 0.6 percent, and whole milk powder dropped 2.2 percent to US$3706 per tonne. North Asian buying share fell from 39 to 22 percent, while Southeast Asia and Oceania took up the slack, and milk fat prices rose.

- Date: 2026-06-02 · published 2026-06-02T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: trade · region Global · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/7959-fall-in-dairy-auction-prices-mars-start-of-season-rnz
- Commodities: [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md)

## Why it matters

Lower North Asian demand weakens whole milk powder prices, which set New Zealand farm payouts. Shifts in buyer mix can keep global dairy prices under pressure.

## Read by commodity

- MILK: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MILK | 2026-06-02 | 1 | -4.7% | -4.1 | The June 2 GDT auction fell, with whole milk powder down 2.2% and weaker North Asian buying, a negative global demand signal on the same date as the move. |
| MILK | 2026-06-03 | 1 | -4.7% | -4.0 | The June 2 GDT index fell 0.6% with whole milk powder down 2.2% and North Asian buying share down sharply, signaling weaker global demand that weighed on dairy sentiment. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 2025-03-05 | [What’s in the News: Dairy Markets Weaken Amid Tariffs, Falling Prices, and Lab-Grown Milk - Dairy Herd](https://feedsoft.ai/events/4703-what-s-in-the-news-dairy-markets-weaken-amid-tariffs-falling-prices-and-lab.md) | -8.6% | -7.8% |
| MILK | 2020-01-04 | [US dairy farmers battle extinction Trump trade wars lower milk prices](https://feedsoft.ai/events/4661-us-dairy-farmers-battle-extinction-trump-trade-wars-lower-milk-prices.md) | +0.6% | +0.6% |
| MILK | 2025-03-04 | [Dairy Markets on Edge: Tariffs and Trade Uncertainty Shake Prices - Dairy Herd](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25587-dairy-markets-on-edge-tariffs-and-trade-uncertainty-shake-prices-dairy-herd.md) | -8.9% | -7.7% |
| MILK | 2023-08-31 | [Exports Drive Dairy Prices Whey Up (and Down) - Farmer Mac](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34591-exports-drive-dairy-prices-whey-up-and-down-farmer-mac.md) | -1.5% | -2.6% |

## Sources

- rnz.co.nz: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/597083/fall-in-dairy-auction-prices-mars-start-of-season

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