Global dairy prices at the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction (Event 401, 7 April 2026) fell for the first time this year. The overall index fell by 3.4% to $4,230 per tonne, following five consecutive auctions of price increases and a single period of stabilisation.
The fall in prices for milk fats
The sharpest decline was recorded in the dairy fats segment:
- Butter — down 8.1% ($6,180 / €5,360);
- Anhydrous Milk Fat (AMF) — down 7.1% ($7,030 / €6,100).
The price of milk fat fell for the first time in 2026 following a prolonged period of rapid growth. At the same time, butter prices also fell sharply after stabilising at the previous auction.
Cheese and powdered milk are becoming cheaper
The price drop has also affected other dairy products:
- Cheddar cheese — down 3.1% ($4,770 / €4,130);
- Mozzarella cheese — down 6.2% ($3,950 / €3,420);
- skimmed milk powder (SMP) — down 1.6% ($3,380 / €2,930);
- whole milk powder (WMP) — down 0.7% ($3,690 / €3,200).
The price of SZM fell for the first time in 2026 following a period of strong growth, whilst the price of SNM has now fallen for the second auction in a row.
Cheese prices have also fallen following two consecutive auctions in which prices had risen.
The trend is changing
Current figures suggest that the upward trend in dairy prices in Oceania has come to an end.
Джерело: Global Dairy Trade
