Infant formula firms that claim to have lost millions as a result of Fonterra's botulism scare were told they were not victims - and denied a chance to have their say.

Dairy giant Fonterra's attempt to suspend the legal action it is facing from French food company Danone over last year's botulism scare is due to be heard in the High Court in June.

Alan Fitzsimmons still gets a buzz out of opening up new markets for Fonterra after more than two decades selling New Zealand dairy products to the world.

The cross-border tourism trade from mainland China is a big part of the retail scene in Hong Kong.

Fonterra's record farmgate milk price forecast may have to come back slightly after international dairy prices fell again at last night's dairy auction, but the decline should not detract from what has been a stellar season for the sector.

Dairy product prices have kept falling in the latest overnight, falling 2.6 per cent to 14-month low, paced by whole milk powder.

Fonterra has come to a compelling realisation it will need to develop "Chinese feet".

Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings has centralised control of the company's Chinese farming hubs into a new standalone business unit to make faster progress growing its milk pools in China.

A judge who fined Fonterra $300,000 over the events leading to last year's botulism scare says New Zealand's reputation as an exporter was "shaken" by the incident.

Prices have plunged nearly 9 per cent in the latest overnight global dairy auction. It is the fourth consecutive fall in prices, with average prices falling 5.2 per cent on March 18.

New research has stoked the health and nutrition controversy over "A1" cows' milk.

Fonterra's farmer members will be offered two opportunities to lock in the price paid for a percentage of their milk in the 2014/15 season.

Fonterra has posted a 53pc drop in interim net profit as high dairy commodity prices hit the dairy co-op's margins.

Fonterra's offices in Beijing have a room with walls made of red glass where the business is done.

Dairy pervades the economy and the cultural landscape - our obsession with flat whites, free milk in schools and even our political scandals, as witnessed last week.

When Prime Minister John Key heads off to China tonight, it will be as much about talking to China's mothers as talking to its leaders.

Fonterra said it had accepted charges laid against it by the Ministry for Primary Industries over events that led to last year's market recall of whey protein concentrate.

Fonterra says it has accepted charges laid against it by the Ministry for Primary Industries over events that led to last year's recall of whey protein concentrate.

French food company Danone is suing Fonterra for alleged breaches of the Fair Trading Act in its High Court action against the dairy giant in the wake of last year's botulism scare.

New Zealand commodity prices rose to a record in February, as cheese prices surged to a six-year high.

New Zealand's terms of trade rose to a 40-year high for the second straight quarter in the final three months of 2013 as import prices fell.

Surging dairy exports to China have pushed the annual trade balance into surplus for the first time in nearly two years.