Fonterra says a good autumn and a reasonable winter have contributed to record milk flows to processing sites throughout New Zealand.

Milk collection is on average up more than 13 per cent on a daily basis, compared with last year.

A record 30 million litres of milk was collected in one day from farms in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

The milk wave, which Fonterra admits has come as a surprise, has one media commentator writing the headline ‘Fonterra’s cup runneth over’.

Fonterra Managing Director Trade and Operations, Gary Romano, says it is too early in the season to change milk forecasts and a cold snap and a dry summer could reduce forecasts anyway.

He says the extra milk volumes are putting pressure on milk collection, manufacturing and the supply chain.

8000 people are working to get milk off the farms and to market.