The Milk Business

The US dairy Industry is riding the crest of a wave – the processing sector is investing like never before – the US government and political institution really wants farmers and the dairy industry to thrive. Consumers can’t get enough dairy protein. This week, podcast host Jack Kennedy, talks to Mary Ledman, former head of dairy at Rabobank and a global expert who has spent her career talking to a...

Europe is well behind the US and New Zealand when it comes to milk price management tools for hedging milk price. This week host Jack Kennedy gets the insights of a trading expert John O'Driscoll who was globally trading dairy and other food commodities to hear his thoughts on risk management to make margins and returns more predictable and consistent. We also hear from milk suppliers around the w...

With dairy companies announcing new mergers and acquisitions at renewed pace in 2026 this week podcast host Jack Kennedy talks to a global expert on why it's all happening and what dairy companies not in the M&A space need to consider. As Europe melts in extreme heat we are talk melting of a different sort this week as dairy companies around the world continue to merge, bolt-on, change, divers...

With a new strategy in place for global dairy giant Fonterra, a template and a history in share farming and equity partnerships, and an industry that is treating livestock emissions differently to many other countries – the global dairy industry needs to hear more from New Zealand. This week the Milk Business podcast host Jack Kennedy talks to Nicola Shadbolt from New Zealand about some of the fun...

If the airline industry can ride the storms of higher energy prices why can’t the dairy industry? Europe is playing catch up to the rest of the world on milk price risk management. The US dairy industry is leading the way on options for protecting margins. This week Jack Kennedy talks to global expert broker John Lancaster from StoneX on his experience, recommendations and advice on what the next...

Since 2021 Kerry Group plc have started to evolve their existing milk business into a stand alone business unit. In December 2024 Kerry shareholders and milk suppliers voted unamimously to take back the milk business into majority co-op ownership. This Kerry milk business that was previously called Kerry Dairy Ireland – now has been rebranded Kinisla. This podcast carries the full interview betwee...

After a recent period of turbulance it seems calm has been restored on what was 'the Kerry way', but now is 'the Kinisla way'. World renowned Kerry Group plc still own 30% of the Kinisla dairy business, however, milk suppliers are back in control of the Kinisla co-op now. This week Jack Kennedy sat down in Kinisla headquarters to meet with CEO Pat Murphy to talk changes, where for the future, and...

This week there were some very interesting global dairy news stories so Jack Kennedy said he’d package them together to bring a flavour of some of the breaking news in the dairy game. Fonterra announced financial results and announced a forecast milk price for the rest of the 2025/2026 season, and also another forecast milk price for 2026/2027 season. The Arla merger with DMK and DOC was formally...

This week on the Milk Business Podcast Jack Kennedy talks to a global expert from Ireland on what’s happening globally in terms of trying to tie down what revenue, milk price or even margin milk suppliers are getting around the world. MTU expert Declan O Connor from Cork in Ireland has many years of experience lecturing the industry on the benefits of risk management to the dairy industry. We also...

This week given the significance to world trade of a meeting between the Presidents of US and China Jack Kennedy chats to Ian Lahiffe in Beijing about the 'meeting', milk production in China, Taiwan, Foot and Mouth, and Chinese whole milk powder imports. We also hear from dairy farmers around the world discuss key issues facing them as we head into the last week of May. 

The majority of European milk is purchased by co-operatives (c.60%), however, a large chunk of milk produced in major European milk producing countries such as France, the UK and Germany is purchased by private companies.  One of the key differences between private and co-operatives entities is that milk suppliers are not the owners of the business, and hence processing investment decisions, milk...

This week on the milk business podcast we report from the 2026 Dairy Industry Newsletter annual conference in London. A host of global experts gathered to discuss what they expect to happen to global milk supply as commodity dairy prices and milk prices to farmers mean some of the actual farmgate milk prices are some of the worst experienced for the last 20 years. We also hear from suppliers aroun...

Fonterra, the heavyweight dairy giant headquartered in New Zealand, is starting out on a new chapter without a consumer business. It is now setting out it's stall as a high tech protein business driven by an ingredients powerhouse. Will it work? Is there merit to this new strategy? In this episode we ask Leonie Guiney, ex director of Fonterra and now shareholder and farmer in the South Island of N...

On this weeks show we talk to Dr Maha Tahiri about first understanding what is meant by 'Ultra-processed', and secondly, what challenges are presented to the dairy industry by this process. She has some very clear advice for companies and also some great insights into how to address the issue. We also have a 'Insight special' on Chobani - the American company that has revolutionised the yoghurt ca...

On this episode of The Milk Business Jack Kennedy talks to Dr Maha Tahiri, a global nutrition consultant on how companies should react to the 'GLP1 Tsunami' that is engulfing consumers the world over. We also hear from farmers around the world to get a handle on global milk supply. Dairy Farmers of America have just launched a new product called MULU - we preview it and talk about increasing costs...

In the first two parts of the Protein Rush we talked about the dairy protein revolution that is sweeping across the world at the moment. In this episode, part three, and the final episode in this Protein Rush series, we dig into how the demand for protein is changing the commercial reality for dairy businesses with Aoife Murphy, Chief Commercial Ingredients executive with Tirlan in Ireland. Aoife...

In part two of the Protein Rush Jack Kennedy chats to Professor Paddy Wall about the Food First Strategy in China, how the Chinese infant formula market fundamentally changed, and we ask can you overload on protein consumption?  

Jack Kennedy talks with Professor Patrick Wall about the global protein rush and how weight loss drugs are part of the driver for increased dairy protein consumption globally. We hear from dairy farmers around the world. We profile a new product produced by Lactalis onsale in the United States and we discuss the latest milk market moves.