State of the Dairy Nation Pulse Report
The economic pulse of New Zealand’s dairy sector shows hard-working farmers and dairy processors continue to be the lifeblood of the national economy, having just delivered a record year for NZ Inc.
The most recently completed full season (2024/25), saw our dairy sector:
- Produce more milk than ever (21 billion litres of milk containing 1.94 billion kgMS[1]).
- Deliver the highest export earnings ever ($27.15 billion).
This was achieved while employing almost 55,000 people and milking fewer cows (the national herd was actually down by half a percent compared to the year prior).
The record contribution reflects the long-term efforts of farmers, supported by industry-good organisations and constructive government policies to drive productivity, resilience and sustainability in the sector.
It points to strong fundamentals and a great future for New Zealand’s dairy sector even amid changing market conditions and global volatility.