Dairy Digits: Key Market Indicators and Price Trends

Today, we're diving into the fascinating world of dairy, drawing insights directly from the latest 'Dairy Digits' report, a valuable feature compiled by Milk SA.

In this episode, we'll unpack the key market indicators that are shaping the industry, focusing primarily on the South African dairy sector with a look at international price trends. We'll discuss the latest figures on unprocessed milk purchased, noting the estimated 3.56% increase for 2024 to 3,458 '000 tonnes, though April 2025 estimates show a slight decrease of 1.88%. We’ll also examine the significant shifts in South Africa's dairy imports and exports, highlighting a notable 30.1% decrease in imports for 2024 and a 33.6% decrease from January to April 2025, while exports have seen an increase, particularly when including sales to other SACU countries.

Furthermore, we'll explore the crucial price trends, examining the Producer Price Index (PPI) for unprocessed milk—which was 100.5 in April 2025, down 5.81% from the previous year—and the PPI of dairy products, which saw a slight increase of 0.2% to 104.4 in April 2025. We'll also touch upon the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for milk, cheese, and eggs, providing a comprehensive view of price movements. To give you a global perspective, we’ll analyze the international free on board (FOB) prices for key dairy products like Butter, Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP), Cheddar, and Full-Cream Milk Powder (FMP), tracking their movements from January 2014 right up to May 2025.

Join us as we explore these vital statistics to understand the current state and future signals of the dairy industry. Let's get started!