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Reuters
Reuters
Business

Dry weather crimps Fonterra's New Zealand, Australia milk output

The Fonterra logo is seen near the Fonterra Te Rapa plant near Hamilton August 6, 2013. REUTERS/Nigel Marple/File Photo GLOBAL BUSINESS WEEK AHEAD PACKAGE Ð SEARCH ÒBUSINESS WEEK AHEAD SEPTEMBER 19Ó FOR ALL IMAGES

(Reuters) - Dairy group Fonterra on Thursday said its New Zealand milk production fell 10% in April from the year before as dry weather hit farms.

The world's biggest dairy exporter also said in a statement that its Australian milk output dropped 10% in March from a year earlier amid continued drought and high farm costs in that country.

The group's dairy exports from New Zealand increased by 27% in March on-year, buoyed by demand from key Asian markets, although its exports from Australia fell 3% in the same month.

Fonterra earlier in May cut its annual earnings guidance and said it would close a more than 100-year old facility in Australia as dry weather and increased costs continued to undermine its operations.

Shares of Fonterra on Thursday traded as much as 2.5% lower to touch a record low, on track for their third consecutive session of losses.

(Reporting by Shriya Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Pullin and Joseph Radford)

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