International Farm Gate Milk Prices
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International Comparison of Producer Prices for Milk
The EDF-ZuivelNL International Milk Price Comparison encompasses milk prices obtained from the average prices paid to dairy producers by sixteen large European dairies. The producer prices of this comparison comprise bonus payments for both volume and quality of milk deliveries. Additional bonus payments are provided for seasonality, specific milk streams, sustainability as well as annual supplementary payments are included in the annual prices.
Furthermore, this comparison also incorporates farm gate milk prices from the USA and New Zealand. In the case of the USA, the prices are determined by referencing the USDA class III price. For New Zealand, the basis for calculation is derived from Fonterra’s pricing, as Fonterra stands as the world’s leading dairy exporter.
international comparison
of producer prices
for milk
May 2026
average all dairies
40.14 ct/kgcompared to prevoius month
+0.38 ct/kg
compared to prevoius year
-10.15 ct/kg
international comparison
of producer prices
for milk
12-month rolling average
average all dairies
45.61 ct/kgcompared to prevoius month
-1.00 ct/kg
compared to prevoius year
-3.55 ct/kg
MILK PRICE REVIEW MAY 2026
DAIRY MARKET UPDATE MAY 2026
Milk prices stabilize
The average standard milk price increased slightly in May 2026, ending the downward trend that had continued since July 2025. Advance milk prices averaged €40.14 per 100 kg, up €0.38 (+0.9%) from April. However, prices remained more than 20% lower than in May 2025.
Milk production continues to grow
Growth in EU milk deliveries slowed to 2.7% in April, following stronger increases in previous months. Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland continued to record solid growth, while France’s growth slowed significantly. Ireland stood out with a sharp decline in milk deliveries. Overall, EU milk deliveries were 4.2% higher in the first four months of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
Milk production also remained above last year’s levels in most other major dairy-exporting countries. New Zealand (+6.0%), Uruguay (+9.7%), Australia (+4.1%) and the United States (just under +3%) all reported higher production. In Argentina, growth continued but at a slower pace than in recent months. Combined milk production of the major exporting regions, including the EU, was 3.8% higher through April than a year earlier.
Dairy commodity prices remain under pressure
Butter prices have declined sharply since mid-March, falling below €400 in early May. Although prices briefly stabilized later in the month, they continued to weaken during June. The decline is mainly driven by abundant supply, supported by both strong production and growing inventories. At the same time, demand remains subdued, as many buyers have already covered their purchasing needs for the rest of the year.
Skimmed milk powder prices also came under pressure after increasing steadily between January and mid-May. Prices fell noticeably during June, mainly due to weaker export demand.
Milk price developments
Most monitored European dairy processors either increased their milk prices or kept them unchanged in May. The largest price increases were recorded in Denmark and Germany, while milk prices in the United States remained largely stable.
👉 Full comparison by EDF & ZuivelNL reveals detailed information across 16 dairy processors from the EU and milk price information for CH, NZ, US.
EDF-ZUIVELNL INTERNATIONAL MILK PRICES
May 2026
