Prices of dairy products rose in Fonterra's latest GlobalDairyTrade auction, the third straight gain on the sales platform, led by cheddar and anhydrous milk fat while milk powder prices fell.
The GDT-TWI Price Index rose 0.7 per cent compared to the last sale two weeks ago. The average winning pricegained to US$3,348 a metric tonne. Whole milk powder, the biggest product by volume, fell 1.9 per cent to US$3,276 a tonne and skim milk powder dropped 1.7 per cent to US$3,402 a tonne.
Fonterra's brokers may be cheered as the gains come as it enters the bookbuild for the $525 million Fonterra Shareholders' Fund, which gives outside investors access to the cooperative's dividend payments. The auction comes as the Thomson Reuters/Jefferies CRB Commodity Index of 19 commonly traded commodities is at its highest level in a month, having gained 1.6 per cent overnight.
The total volume sold fell to 48,335 tonnes from 54,106 tonnes two weeks ago.
Anhydrous milk fat rose 1.2 per cent to US$3,066 a tonne and cheddar jumped 12.4 per cent to US$3,436 a tonne. Only one contract date traded for butter milk powder, due Feb. 13, at a price of US$3.615. Lactose wasn't offered for sale.
Milk protein concentrate fell 1.8 per cent to US$6,040 a tonne and rennet casein was unchanged at US$7,916 a tonne.
There were 147 winning bidders over 11 rounds. There were 186 participating bidders out of a total number of qualified bidders of 726.
