Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: The latest global dairy trade auction shows a consolidation of prices for whole-milk powder and skim-milk powder, which rose 0.7 percent and 2 percent respectively. These increases come after the strong gains from earlier in the year and are due to the robust global demand for New Zealand dairy products. This is a positive outlook for farm incomes, those in the regions, and the national economy. Economists are optimistic that the recent strength in prices will persist well into the next season. Nevertheless, the overall index declined 0.7 percent, with butter prices falling 12 percent. This is an important sign that we are still operating in a volatile and uncertain global environment. 