Germany has one of Europe’s largest and most complex dairy industries. The market combines farmer-owned cooperatives, family groups, branded manufacturers, private-label suppliers and export-focused processors.
Six dairy groups stand out for current scale and supermarket relevance: the combined Arla/DMK business in Germany, Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller, Hochland, Hochwald, Molkerei Ammerland and Zott.
The ranking needs one important 2026 correction. Arla Foods and DMK Group officially merged on 1 June 2026. They now operate under the Arla name. Counting Arla Germany and DMK as separate companies would therefore double-count one combined cooperative.
: the combined Arla/DMK business is Germany’s most significant farmer-owned dairy platform after the 2026 merger. Theo Müller is the largest group in this list by disclosed total 2025 turnover at €10.3 billion, although that group includes businesses outside dairy. Hochland generated €2.54 billion in 2025, Molkerei Ammerland €1.90 billion, Zott €1.28 billion, while Hochwald’s latest fully reported turnover was just over €2.0 billion for 2024.
Top dairy companies in Germany
| Company | German base | Main dairy categories | Latest disclosed scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arla / former DMK Group | Bremen and multiple German plants | Milk, cheese, butter, dairy drinks, ingredients, ice cream | DMK generated €5.3bn in 2025 before merger; combined Arla group has ~28,800 employees |
| Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller | Major German operations in Bavaria and elsewhere | Yoghurt, desserts, milk, cheese, dairy drinks | €10.3bn group turnover in 2025; 35,000 employees |
| Hochland | Heimenkirch | Cheese, processed cheese, private label, foodservice | €2.54bn revenue in 2025; 6,313 employees |
| Hochwald | Thalfang | Milk, cheese, ingredients, long-life dairy | €2.01bn revenue in 2024; 1,970 employees |
| Molkerei Ammerland | Wiefelstede-Dringenburg | Cheese, butter, milk, powders and concentrates | €1.897bn revenue in 2025; 800+ employees |
| Zott | Mertingen, Bavaria | Yoghurt, desserts, cheese, dairy drinks | €1.282bn revenue in 2025; 2,979 employees |
Why Germany’s dairy sector matters
Germany is one of Europe’s biggest milk-producing and dairy-processing countries.
Its domestic market is large, but German dairies also export cheese, milk powders, butter, ingredients and branded chilled products across Europe and beyond.
The industry has several different business models.
Farmer-owned cooperatives such as the former DMK, Hochwald and Molkerei Ammerland connect raw-milk supply directly with processing.
Family-owned groups such as Theo Müller, Hochland and Zott compete through brands, specialised categories, private label and international production.
This mix matters to supermarket buyers because one supplier may be strong in basic milk, another in branded yoghurt and another in cheese or private label.
Germany’s wider FMCG market includes several of these groups, but a dairy-specific comparison gives a much clearer view of milk processing, brands, farmers, plants and category strength.
How we selected the six companies
We used current company information and the latest available financial reporting.
The main criteria were:
- German dairy processing presence.
- Meaningful supermarket and food-industry relevance.
- Current scale.
- Milk processing or dairy manufacturing depth.
- Brands, private label or ingredients capability.
- Reliable financial or operating data.
Where a group operates outside Germany, we clearly label group-level numbers rather than pretending they represent German dairy revenue alone.
1. Arla / former DMK Group
The most important structural change in German dairy in 2026 was the merger of Arla Foods and DMK Group.
The two farmer-owned cooperatives officially united on 1 June 2026 under the Arla name.
The combined business brings together around 11,200 farmer owners, approximately 28,800 employees and a milk pool of around 20 billion kilograms across the full cooperative.
Why the merger changes German dairy rankings
Before June 2026, DMK and Arla were separate competitors.
DMK was Germany’s largest dairy cooperative and one of the country’s biggest milk processors. Arla already had significant German production, brands and farmer ownership.
After the merger, counting both separately would misrepresent the market.
Ingo Müller, formerly CEO of DMK Group, became Head of Germany in the combined Arla organisation as integration began.
DMK’s 2025 financial scale before the merger
DMK generated €5.3 billion in revenue in 2025, up from €5.1 billion in 2024.
Net result was approximately €24 million.
The cooperative processed around 5.1 billion kilograms of milk annually before the combination.
These figures matter because they show the German scale entering the new Arla structure.
What does the combined business produce?
The German operation now brings together brands and manufacturing across:
- fresh milk;
- UHT milk;
- butter;
- cheese;
- yoghurt;
- dairy drinks;
- ice cream;
- sports nutrition;
- milk powder;
- dairy ingredients.
Important brand families include Arla, Lurpak, Castello, MILRAM and Oldenburger.
German production network
The combined company operates multiple German dairy plants inherited from both businesses.
That network includes major facilities for milk, cheese, powders and branded chilled products.
The merger gives the cooperative more flexibility across raw-milk intake, production and product categories.
Employees
The combined Arla cooperative has around 28,800 employees globally.
A single post-merger Germany-only employee number was not yet presented in the current public sources reviewed.
We therefore do not estimate it.
Market share
No single current percentage share of Germany’s total dairy market has been published for the newly combined business.
The merger clearly creates a larger German milk-processing platform, but the exact share varies by milk, cheese, butter, brands and industrial ingredients.
Valuation
Arla is a farmer-owned cooperative, not a stock-market company.
There is therefore no public market capitalisation.
Why it matters to supermarkets
The combination changes supplier concentration.
A retailer may still buy MILRAM and Arla products under different brand strategies, but the ultimate cooperative ownership is now combined.
Private-label and sourcing teams should also check whether two proposed supply sites now sit within the same parent group when assessing contingency.
2. Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller
Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller is one of Europe’s largest family-owned food groups and one of Germany’s best-known dairy businesses.
Its origins go back to 1896, when the business began as a village dairy.
2025 scale
The group reports:
- €10.3 billion turnover in 2025;
- 35,000 employees;
- more than 20 production sites;
- exports to more than 80 countries.
This is total group turnover, not dairy-only revenue.
The group also owns businesses in convenience food, logistics, packaging, fruit preparation and plant-based products.
Dairy brands
The group’s dairy portfolio includes well-known brands and businesses across:
- yoghurt;
- desserts;
- milk drinks;
- fresh milk;
- butter;
- cheese;
- cream;
- private label.
Müller-branded yoghurt and desserts are particularly visible in European supermarkets.
German production
The group has major German dairy operations in Bavaria and other locations.
Its roots in Aretsried remain central to the company’s identity.
Over time, acquisitions have expanded manufacturing and brand capability well beyond the original dairy.
Private label
Theo Müller is not only a branded producer.
The wider group also manufactures retailer-owned products in several markets.
Private-label capability matters because it gives supermarkets another route to use the group’s industrial scale without carrying a Müller consumer brand.
Our private-label dairy manufacturers analysis looks at this part of the market separately.
Employees in Germany
The group does not present one simple current Germany-only workforce number on its headline corporate page.
We therefore use the published group figure of 35,000 employees and label it clearly as group-wide.
Valuation
Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller is privately controlled.
There is no public stock-market valuation.
Market share
The group has leading positions in several dairy categories, but one German “dairy market share” would be misleading because yoghurt, milk, desserts and cheese are different markets.
Why Müller matters to supermarkets
Its strength is brand and manufacturing depth.
Müller can support:
- high-volume chilled categories;
- innovation;
- branded promotions;
- private label;
- multi-market supply.
This makes it a major negotiating counterpart for European dairy category teams.
3. Hochland
Hochland is one of Germany’s largest cheese-focused dairy groups.
The family-owned business is headquartered in Heimenkirch in the Allgäu region.
2025 financial results
Hochland generated €2.54 billion in revenue in 2025.
The group sold approximately 438,000 tonnes of cheese.
It employed 6,313 people worldwide, including 2,361 employees in Germany.
Business model
Hochland operates across four major areas:
- brands;
- foodservice;
- B2B;
- private label.
This is a useful model for supermarket buyers because the same group can appear as a branded competitor and an own-label manufacturing partner.
What does Hochland make?
The group specialises strongly in cheese.
Its portfolio includes:
- processed cheese;
- cream cheese;
- sliced cheese;
- natural cheese;
- foodservice cheese;
- private-label cheese.
Head office and factories
Hochland’s headquarters are in Heimenkirch.
The group has production operations in Germany and several international markets.
Its manufacturing network supports both European retail and export sales.
Ownership and valuation
Hochland is family-owned.
There is no public stock-market valuation.
Market share
No current single percentage share of Germany’s total cheese market is disclosed in the company information reviewed.
Its 438,000 tonnes of cheese sales show substantial scale, but the group sells across multiple countries.
Why Hochland matters
Cheese is one of the most segmented dairy categories.
A supermarket may need:
- value sliced cheese;
- branded processed cheese;
- foodservice formats;
- premium speciality products;
- private label.
Hochland can operate across several of those roles.
4. Hochwald
Hochwald is a major German dairy cooperative headquartered in Thalfang.
The cooperative traces its roots to 1932.
Latest full financial results
Hochwald reported €2.0109 billion in revenue for 2024.
That was 2.3% higher than the previous year.
EBITDA reached approximately €161.2 million.
The group processed around 2.3 billion kilograms of milk.
Employees
Hochwald employed 1,970 people in 2024.
Domestic and export sales
Approximately 59% of turnover was generated domestically and 41% through export business.
The company has particularly strong international long-life dairy and export operations.
Products
Hochwald manufactures:
- milk;
- long-life milk;
- cheese;
- cream;
- dairy ingredients;
- milk powders;
- branded products.
Factories
The group operates several production sites in Germany and the Netherlands.
Its Mechernich dairy is one of the major modern facilities in the network.
Ownership
Hochwald Milch is a farmer-owned cooperative.
There is no public stock-market valuation.
Market share
A current percentage of Germany’s entire dairy market is not disclosed.
Why Hochwald matters
Hochwald combines domestic retail supply with substantial international business.
This is especially relevant in shelf-stable dairy and ingredients, where export economics differ from short-life fresh milk.
5. Molkerei Ammerland
Molkerei Ammerland is one of Germany’s largest regional dairy cooperatives.
It was founded in 1885.
2025 revenue
The cooperative generated €1.8974 billion in turnover in 2025.
Employees
Molkerei Ammerland reports more than 800 employees across the cooperative and subsidiaries.
It also employed 45 apprentices.
Milk suppliers
The dairy had around 1,946 active milk suppliers on average in 2025.
This farmer base delivered approximately 2.4985 billion kilograms of milk.
Production
2025 production included approximately:
- 242,783 tonnes of liquid milk products;
- 218,222 tonnes of cheese;
- 89,563 tonnes of powder;
- 30,894 tonnes of butter.
Exports
About 50% of production is exported to more than 70 countries.
This makes Ammerland much more international than its regional name might suggest.
Certifications
The cooperative lists:
- FSSC 22000;
- IFS Higher Level;
- EU Organic;
- Bioland;
- VLOG non-GMO;
- Halal;
- Kosher;
- energy-management certification.
These certifications support different retail and export channels.
Ownership and valuation
Molkerei Ammerland is a farmer-owned cooperative.
There is no public market capitalisation.
Market share
No single national dairy-market percentage is published.
The 2.5 billion kilograms of processed milk show very significant industrial scale.
Why Ammerland matters
Its strengths are cheese, milk powder, butter and export capability.
That makes it relevant to both supermarket buyers and industrial food manufacturers.
6. Zott
Zott is one of Germany’s best-known family-owned dairy manufacturers.
The Bavarian business has more than 90 years of dairy history.
Head office
Zott is headquartered in Mertingen, Bavaria.
It operates another German production site in Günzburg and a major plant in Opole, Poland.
2025 revenue
Zott generated approximately €1.282 billion in group turnover in 2025.
Employees
The company employed 2,979 people.
Milk processing
Zott processed around 881 million kilograms of milk in 2025.
Products and brands
The company produces:
- yoghurt;
- desserts;
- milk drinks;
- cheese;
- mozzarella;
- cream products;
- milk bars;
- ice cream;
- vegan alternatives.
Major brands include:
- Monte;
- Jogobella;
- Zott Sahne Joghurt;
- Zottarella;
- Bayerntaler.
International footprint
Zott sells products in many international markets.
Its manufacturing base in Germany and Poland supports both domestic and export business.
Ownership and valuation
Zott remains family-owned.
There is no public stock-market valuation.
Market share
The company does not publish a single percentage share of Germany’s overall dairy market.
Its strongest positions are in specific yoghurt, dessert and cheese categories.
Why Zott matters to supermarkets
Zott is a strong example of branded chilled dairy.
It competes through flavour, format and consumer recognition rather than only commodity milk scale.
How Germany’s six dairy groups compare
| Company | Main strength | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Arla / former DMK | Milk pool, scale and broad dairy processing | Farmer cooperative |
| Theo Müller | Large branded and private-label dairy platform | Family-owned |
| Hochland | Cheese | Family-owned |
| Hochwald | Milk, exports and long-life dairy | Farmer cooperative |
| Molkerei Ammerland | Cheese, milk powders and exports | Farmer cooperative |
| Zott | Yoghurt, desserts and cheese brands | Family-owned |
What should supermarket buyers compare?
Revenue is only one measure.
A dairy category manager should compare:
- Category strength: milk, cheese, yoghurt, butter or desserts?
- Brand demand: does the brand bring shoppers?
- Private-label capability: can the same supplier make retailer brands?
- Milk supply: how secure is the farmer base?
- Factory network: is there backup production?
- Cold chain: how short is the product life?
- Export pressure: could global demand reduce local availability?
- Promotion dependency: how much volume needs discounting?
- Innovation: is growth coming from protein, convenience or new formats?
- Price architecture: does the range cover value and premium tiers?
Why milk-processing scale matters
Dairy factories are capital intensive.
Milk arrives every day.
Processors need to:
- collect it;
- test it;
- separate it;
- pasteurise it;
- turn it into products;
- store it;
- ship it quickly.
Large milk pools improve plant utilisation but also create pressure to find profitable outlets for every component of the milk.
That is why major dairies sell both consumer products and ingredients.
How the Arla-DMK merger changes competition
The merger is the largest structural change in German dairy for years.
Before June 2026, Arla and DMK could compete as separate suppliers.
Now their milk pools, brands and production networks are being combined under one cooperative.
For retailers, this can create:
- greater supplier scale;
- broader plant options;
- more brand concentration;
- different negotiation dynamics;
- new supply-resilience questions.
It can also create efficiencies if production and logistics are integrated well.
Which is Germany’s largest dairy company?
The answer depends on how the company is defined.
The combined Arla/DMK cooperative is now a huge European dairy group with a very large German milk-processing base.
Theo Müller reports €10.3 billion in total 2025 group turnover, but that figure includes non-dairy businesses and operations outside Germany.
DMK alone generated €5.3 billion in 2025 before its merger with Arla.
For that reason, a simple revenue ranking can mislead unless group scope is made clear.
Which German dairy processes the most milk?
The former DMK operation processed around 5.1 billion kilograms annually before merging with Arla.
Molkerei Ammerland processed almost 2.5 billion kilograms in 2025.
Hochwald processed around 2.3 billion kilograms in its latest reported year.
Zott processed 881 million kilograms in 2025.
Which German dairy is strongest in cheese?
Hochland is one of the clearest cheese specialists and sold around 438,000 tonnes of cheese in 2025.
Molkerei Ammerland also produced more than 218,000 tonnes of cheese in 2025.
Arla/DMK and other dairies also have substantial cheese operations.
Which dairy is strongest in yoghurt?
Theo Müller and Zott are especially visible in branded yoghurt and desserts.
Arla also has growing high-protein yoghurt and skyr activity, including planned investment in Germany.
Which dairies make private label?
Several do.
Theo Müller, Hochland and other large groups manufacture private-label dairy depending on category and market.
Private label should be negotiated as a separate commercial and technical programme from branded supply.
How important are exports?
Very important.
Molkerei Ammerland exports about half of production to more than 70 countries.
Hochwald generates a large share of sales abroad.
German dairy exports include:
- cheese;
- milk powder;
- UHT milk;
- butter;
- ingredients;
- branded products.
Export demand can influence domestic milk utilisation and pricing.
Why protein is changing dairy
High-protein dairy is one of the strongest current growth areas.
Skyr, cottage cheese and protein drinks have benefited from consumer interest in higher-protein diets.
Arla announced more than €63 million of investment in 2026 to expand protein-rich dairy capacity in Europe, including the Upahl site in Germany.
Other dairies are also extending protein formats.
Why certifications matter
Dairy factories commonly use certification schemes such as:
- IFS;
- FSSC 22000;
- BRCGS;
- EU Organic;
- VLOG non-GMO;
- Halal;
- Kosher.
Germany’s food-safety certification market is therefore directly relevant to dairy suppliers competing for retail and export contracts.
How important is farmer ownership?
Cooperatives return economic value to their farmer members rather than external shareholders.
The milk price paid to farmers is therefore a central measure of performance.
DMK’s 2025 reporting, for example, emphasised a farmer milk payout of 51.4 cents per kilogram including bonuses.
Private family dairies operate differently but still depend on stable farmer relationships.
What is changing next in German dairy?
Four themes stand out.
1. Consolidation
The Arla-DMK merger creates a much larger cooperative.
2. Protein
Skyr, cottage cheese and high-protein drinks continue to attract investment.
3. Private label
Retailer-owned dairy remains a major competitive force.
4. Sustainability
Farm emissions, energy, packaging and animal welfare are increasingly part of retailer negotiations.
Frequently asked questions
Did Arla buy DMK?
No. Arla Foods and DMK Group merged as farmer-owned cooperatives and officially began operating together under the Arla name on 1 June 2026.
What was DMK’s 2025 revenue?
DMK generated €5.3 billion in revenue in 2025 before the merger took effect.
What is Theo Müller’s revenue?
Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller reports €10.3 billion in total group turnover for 2025.
How many people work for Hochland?
Hochland employed 6,313 people worldwide in 2025, including 2,361 in Germany.
How much milk does Ammerland process?
Molkerei Ammerland processed approximately 2.4985 billion kilograms of milk in 2025.
What is Zott’s revenue?
Zott generated approximately €1.282 billion in group turnover in 2025.
Which dairy is farmer-owned?
Arla, Hochwald and Molkerei Ammerland are farmer-owned cooperative businesses.
Which companies are family-owned?
Theo Müller, Hochland and Zott are major family-owned groups.
Which dairy exports the most?
Direct comparison is difficult because companies report export figures differently. Molkerei Ammerland reports an export share of around 50% to more than 70 countries.
Are these companies all headquartered in Germany?
No. Arla’s combined cooperative headquarters are in Denmark, but it has a major German business after merging with DMK. Theo Müller’s corporate structure is international. Hochland, Hochwald, Ammerland and Zott have clear German headquarters.
Editor’s Note: Financial figures were checked against current company reports and 2026 merger information.
