The latest Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction - event 227 - has kicked off the new year with a boost, having concluded with the GDT Price Index up 2.8%.

The event lasted a minute short of two and a half hours with 167 participating bidders bidding across 15 rounds.

A total of 115 winning bidders emerged from the auction, with a total quantity sold of 28,651MT.

Key Results:

All products on offer at today's event recorded an increase in price index, with butter milk powder (BMP) recording the most dramatic rise on the day - up some 9.3%.

Skimmed milk powder (SMP) also witnessed a considerable rise, up 7.9% on the day, with anhydrous milk fat (AMF) and butter also rising almost 4% in index.

Once again sweet whey powder was not available at today's auction.

Today's event marks a third consecutive rise in the GDT price index, following on from seven price drops on the trot in what was an austere second half to 2018 overall.