The dairy industry in Germany is traditionally populated by small and medium-size enterprises. The industry cannot, however, ignore the general shift towards globalisation, and relentless price pressure in the market as a result of this trend has led businesses to respond by continuing to streamline their operations. Dairy suppliers will continue to join forces in the face of such reigning market pressure. The industry hopes to use strategic alliances to achieve a calculated bundling of its forces and produce the desired success in an enlarged EU market and in the markets beyond the EU.

Number of operators 1960 - 2006








¹⁾Humana reported milk bulk by 3,2 Mrd. kg, included Hansa-Milch AG (partner company)
²⁾without Weihenstephan and Müller UK, Müller process ca. 250 Mio. litre milk in UK
Source: publishing company Th. Mann, Deutsche Milchwirtschaft


1) Humana reported a non-consilidated group sales by 2,8 Mrd. € with 3.200 employee, included partner company Hansa-Milch AG.
2) without Weihenstephan and Müller UK, Müller suffer ca. 640 Mio. in UK
Source: publishing company Th. Mann, Deutsche Milchwirtschaft



Future development

Given the latest EU enlargement on 1 May 2004, the Association of Dairy Producers sees good opportunity for accessing new markets. German milk-processing businesses substantially engaged in exporting have already recorded a good level of sales in cheese, fresh-milk products and butter to eastern European countries in recent years. In the medium term, the decline of traditional self-sufficiency in the new EU member states as well as increasing purchasing power will be important factors contributing to the advancement of business with these states. While the average per-capita consumption of dairy products in the 15 states which formerly made up the EU was 323 kg p.a., the average consumption in the accession states is currently 234 kg, i.e. 28 percent less. The engines expected to drive the anticipated increase in sales will be, most specifically, highly enhanced products such as yoghurts, desserts and cheeses, i.e. products which, to date, have either been absent altogether on the shelves in these new EU member states or which offerings have been limited. Many German businesses are interested in setting up production sites in their respective target countries. Indeed, a number of companies have already been established and investments undertaken in countries such as Poland, Russia and Hungary.

The buyer structure for dairy operators on the domestic front is divided up as follows: 75 percent of buyers are end consumers via food retailers and 25 percent are wholesale consumers.



Size categories
1,000 t milk/jear
    above 500*)
    above 300 (to and
      including 500)
    100 to 300
    below 100




*) not recordet before 1997
Source: BMVEL


Size categories
1,000 t milk/jear
    above 500*)
    above 300 (to and
      including 500)
    100 to 300
    below 100




*) not recordet before 1997
Source: BMVEL

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From Lebensmittel Zeitung LZ|NET


*included external turnover SEH
Source: Trade Dimensions 4/2007
Source: Lebensmittel Zeitung LZ|NET
News to companies LZ/NET

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TOP 20 dairy companies of the world
Rank	Company	Country		Turnover billion € (2006)
1	Nestlé	Switzerland		18.55
2	Danone	France		10.60
3	Lactalis	France		9.09
4	FrieslandCampina	Niederlande		8.01
5	Fonterra	Denmark/Sweden		7.28
6	Dean Foods	New Zealand		7.00
7	Arla Foods	Dänemark/Schweden		6.19
8	Dairy Farmers of America	USA		5.82
9	Kraft Foods	Netherlands/United Kingdom		4.88
10	Unilever	Netherlands		4.57
11	Meiji Dairies	Netherlands		3.69
12	Saputo	Italy		3.56
13	Parmalat	France		3.53
14	Morinaga Milk Industry	Japan		3.46
15	Bongrain	Canada		3.28
16	Mengniu	China		2.69
17	Yili	China		2.53
18	Land O´Lakes	USA		2.31
19	Bel	Germany		2.22
20	Tine	United Kingdom		2.17
Source: Rabobank International (15.06.2010)