Just back from a wonderful holiday in South India, and now busy getting ready for DairyTech 2024, but just have time to post here the Milk Monitors I wrote while I was away:

29 01 24: I'm on me holidays!

Only a short report as I’m in coffee country, Coorg, South India, visiting the old family coffee estate. The photo was taken outside St Philomena’s Cathedral in Mysore, where my mother was christened, and also my eldest sister and brother. Thought I ought to validate my history in commodities!

Nothing much has changed, whey is down €20, skim unchanged, soya even stevens, palm still surprisingly firm. The only comment worthy mentioning is an increase of downgrades being offered, which infers buyers sitting on their hands is working, and apparently milk supply has increased in January, blunting sellers’ aspirations.

01 02 24: Still on me holidays ...

This is the wonderful Ooty Express, the train that  served the old hill station that afforded relief for the families of the officers and civil servants of the Raj during the oppressive heat of the summer months on the plains. The rack and pinion railway climbs the 1 in 12 gradient mountainsides of the Nilgiri Hills, and anyone interested might enjoy an hour off watching this.

Back to business, and nothing much to report. Both skim and sweet whey were down €20, whey now €80 lower than the €820 posted in early December. One significant pointer is that skim milk production went through the bottom in November, but is still in intensive care.

News coming out of IPPE in Atlanta is contradictory, in that whey sales to China are reportedly increasing, but with a backdrop of pork prices plunging to $1/kg. The overall feeling is that buyers are sitting it out, whilst traders aren’t seeing enough arbitrage in a gently decreasing market. Prices should stabilise in February, but traders may take us off to the races after that.

BDC agri is the UK broker for Lacto Production milk and whey powder products.

For further information and prices, contact Greg Dunn on 01206 381521 or g.dunn@blackdiamondcommodities.com