Dairy Farmers Pty Ltd
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Dairy |
| Founded | January 15, 1900 in Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia |
| Founder | Group of 65 dairy farmers from Illawarra |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
Area served | New South Wales, Queensland, Australia, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Asia |
| Products | Fresh milk, UHT long-life milk, dairy snack products, yoghurt, desserts, creams, custard, buttermilk |
| Parent | Bega Cheese |
| Website | www |
Dairy Farmers Pty Ltd, founded in 1900 and currently a subsidiary of the Australian company Bega Cheese, mainly supplies fresh milk across New South Wales and Queensland. It also distributes UHT "long-life" milk and a variety of dairy snack products throughout Australia. Its distribution network extends to both domestic and international regions, including Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
In November 2008, Japanese corporation Kirin Holdings acquired Dairy Farmers via its subsidiary National Foods, which was subsequently rebranded as "Lion Dairy & Drinks." On 23 November 2020, Bega Cheese announced its purchase of Lion Dairy & Drinks along with all associated subsidiaries, including Dairy Farmers.
History
Dairy Farmers Co-operative Milk Co. Limited was established on 15 January 1900 by a group of 65 dairy farmers from the Illawarra area in New South Wales. The cooperative’s goal was to efficiently market milk and butter to urban consumers. For 107 years, it remained entirely Australian-owned and operated 11 processing plants. By 2005, it held the position of the third-largest dairy sales company in Australia, trailing behind National Foods ("Pura") and Norco Co-operative.
The company’s cooperative status ended in 2008 when Kirin Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd acquired Dairy Farmers and integrated it into National Foods. Following Kirin’s acquisition of Lion Nathan in 2009, these entities merged into "Lion Nathan National Foods," which was later simplified to "Lion" and then rebranded as "Lion Dairy & Drinks" in 2011.
Dairy Farmers maintained its headquarters in Homebush Bay, Sydney until 2008. Currently, Lion Dairy & Drinks operates from its base in Melbourne, while its parent company Lion’s corporate headquarters remain in Sydney.
In November 2019, Chinese dairy company Mengniu Dairy reached an agreement to acquire Lion Dairy & Drinks from Kirin for approximately (US$407 million). Although the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission approved the transaction in February 2020, escalating geopolitical issues caused the deal to be abandoned in August 2020.
Following this, on 23 November 2020, Bega Cheese declared its acquisition of Lion Dairy & Drinks and its subsidiaries, marking the return of Dairy Farmers to Australian ownership for the first time since 2008.
Brands
The Dairy Farmers brand focuses on supplying fresh milk primarily within NSW and Queensland while providing UHT "long-life" milk products nationwide. Their range also includes "Thick & Creamy" yoghurt, desserts, creams, custard, and buttermilk.
Under license from Nestlé, Dairy Farmers produced the "Ski" yoghurt line. After National Foods (under Kirin Holdings) acquired Dairy Farmers in 2008, Fonterra obtained the licence for the "Ski" brand and relaunched it as "Nestlé Ski" in 2012. In 2016, Fonterra divested its yoghurt portfolio—including both "Nestlé Ski" and "Nestlé Soleil"—to Parmalat.
Prior to 2009, Dairy Farmers marketed a broad assortment of dairy items such as milk, yogurt, cheese, cream, custard, and flavoured milk under its primary brand. The company operated a total of eleven processing facilities across Australia, including a significant plant located at Wetherill Park in Sydney.
Locations
Dairy Farmers’ manufacturing sites include:
- NSW: 2257 Castlereagh Rd, Penrith
- QLD: 64-72 Magnesium Dve, Crestmead
These addresses are featured on fresh milk packaging distributed within New South Wales and Queensland.
Company milestones
- 1900 – Established under the name The Dairy Farmers Co-operative Milk Co. Limited
- 1935 – Launched the inaugural bottling facility in Sydney
- Mid-1960s – Diversified product range to include cottage cheese and flavored yogurts
- 1977 – Adopted Ultra High Temperature (UHT) processing technology
- 1989 – Created Australian Co-operative Foods (ACF) through a series of mergers; subsequently rebranded as Dairy Farmers
- 1993 – Expanded by acquiring Dairy Vale (SA), Midland Milk (Vic), Malanda Co-operative (FNQ), and Queensco-Unity Dairyfoods (SEQ)
- 1997 – Obtained COON, Mil Lel, and Fred Walker cheese brands; secured licensing for Cracker Barrel; merged with Malanda Dairy Foods; incorporated Dairy Vale operations
- 2005 – Reorganized to distinguish the fast-moving consumer goods division from the milk supply cooperative
- 2008 – Became part of Kirin Holdings and was integrated as a National Foods brand
- 2009 – Following Kirin’s full acquisition of Lion, National Foods merged into Lion Nathan National Foods
- 2011 – Lion Nathan National Foods divided into two entities: "Lion" based in Sydney and "Lion Dairy & Drinks" headquartered in Melbourne
- 2020 – Acquired by the Bega Group