Here’s good news for dairy farmers but bad news for local milk lovers.

Milk prices are climbing to multi-year highs, driven in part by a surprising surge in demand from half way around the world.

China’s citizens are buying more dairy products in baked goods topped with cheese and beverages such as tea with cream.

They drink more milk and eat more cream in desserts and cheese in spring rolls and rice balls, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Demand for skim-milk powder, a common ingredient in ice cream, chocolate, cake and bread, rose up to 49% last year.

This month, average milk prices reached their highest average level since 2014, according to the US Dairy Export Council.