Miraka’s rapid sale shows the struggle for small independents against Fonterra

(Image: Supplied)

Fri, 05 Sep 2025

The increased strength of Fonterra Co-operative Group has made it hard for many small-scale, standalone independent dairy processors to compete.That was seen this week when Open Country Dairy (OCD) signed an agreement to purchase Miraka in what was effectively a fire sale, saving it from collapse.The soon-to-be formerly Māori-owned processor’s financial instability had been rumoured within the industry for some time, and OCD said the opportunity to make the purchase came about “quickly”.Established in 2010, Miraka has grown to...

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