New Zealanders are driving off-road for hours in pursuit of cheap butter, while some order from Australia and even whisk their own cream as the country struggles with high dairy prices.

Although the dairy industry is the country's largest export industry, the latest data from NZ STATS shows that domestic butter prices soared 65% as of March, pushing the average price of 500 grams to $7.42 (£3.30), about $3 higher than the period last year.

People have been in Costco Queiung, Auckland to buy cheap neighborhoods, prompting wholesalers to limit shoppers to 30 blocks per shopper.

Kaleb Halverson, who earned the nicknames "Costco Cowboy" and "Butter Bandits", started a sideways, driving a 10-hour round trip from Taranaki to Ouckland, stocking up cheap butter for his community.

Halverson launched a Facebook page that provides products to ship Costco merchandise to the area, and he was flooded with the request for butter.

He told the news outlet stuff: "The demand is crazy - there are a lot of people who want five to 10 packs."

A Canterbury school recently raised money with butter instead of the usual baked goods or chocolate. The principal of the Lesfield School, Rob Cavanagh, told The Story that the response to the fundraiser was "quite overwhelmed" and sold 19,000 blocks.

“I don’t know much about what the popular commodity butter is in today’s era.”

Meanwhile, some are using social media to teach others how to make their own butter, while bakeries across the country have reported being tough options that can raise prices or face closures.

Luella Penniall, owner of Kayes Bakery in the South, said she was frustrated with having to import cheaper alternatives despite living in a country that produces so many dairy products.

New Zealand is the world's highest dairy exporter, accounting for one-third of the world's dairy cows. The industry accounts for approximately US$11.3 billion or 3.2% of New Zealand's GDP, playing an important role in regional economies.

Penniall uses an Australian broker to find the best butter of the right quality, which usually leads her to ship half of the butter order from Australia.

Case uses about three tons of butter every two months. The business is “surrounded by dairy farms” and Penniall prefers to use New Zealand products, but the cost can be prohibitive.

“Farmers deserve everything they get, they work hard, but somewhere in between seems to have gotten out of control.”

Enterprise CEO Brad Olsen said global supply issues and high demand for New Zealand products are driving local prices.

About 95% of New Zealand's dairy exports are exports, which means that the international market determines domestic prices.

Olson said it was a "double-edged sword" and that high prices are good for the country's economy, but difficult for domestic shoppers.

“I’m not saying it’s the right balance of happiness right now, but considering the price of the commodity… will be determined by the international market, it’s how the game is played.”