New Zealand dairy processor Fonterra has backed away from potentially selling its Australian business after reporting a year of increased revenue and profit.
The company, which produced brands like Western Star Butter and Perfect Italiano Cheese, said in September last year that it was conducting a 'review of different options' for the Australian business.
But in announcing the company's 2021-22 financial year performance, chief executive Miles Hurrell said Fonterra had decided it was "in the co-op's best interests to maintain full ownership".
The decision ends a year of speculation about the possible change in ownership of one of Australia's largest milk processors.
"The last 12 months we took the opportunity with partners like investment banks and others to make sure that the decision we made was the right one," Fonterra Australia managing director Rene Dedoncker said.
It also comes after Fonterra's major competitor in Australia, Canadian company Saputo, told markets that it was reviewing the size of its operations in Australia and that some factories might close.
"[Australian] milk production has been declining year on year, which means that there is less milk for us to process, which means we need less plants in our system," Saputo president Lino Saputo Junior told a conference in Canada.
Profits to continue increasing
Fonterra has been able to maintain its milk supply from Australian farmers despite the tightening market.
The company has collected about 106 million kilograms of milk solids annually for the past two years but revenue and profit has been increasing.
Gross profit for the Australian business was up 16 per cent to $NZ283 million and normalised earnings before interest and taxes up 43 per cent to $NZ106 million for the 2022 financial year.
The outlook for the year ahead also remained strong even as the company paid record milk prices.
Mr Dedoncker said that despite paying Australian dairy farmers 25 per cent more, Fonterra Australia would still make a profit.
"We're very confident about the year ahead," he said.
"I'm not in a position to throw a number at you but I can tell you that we will be making money this year."
