Mataura Valley Milk: Where Open Country Dairy got a bargain

Open Country Dairy chief executive Mark de Lautour. (Image: NZME)

Wed, 20 Aug 2025

The soon-to-be new owners of Mataura Valley Milk will be quickly looking to “Open Country-ify” its new plant after the country’s second-largest dairy processor takes the keys.Open Country Dairy, owned by Talley’s Group, inked a deal with The a2 Milk Company, announced earlier this week, to take over the loss-making site as part of the infant formula business’s acquisition of Yashili NZ.a2 Milk purchased 75% of Mataura Valley, under then-chief executive Geoff Badidge, in 2021 for around $270 million, with China Anim...

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