PIENAS LT, ŽŪK

What PIENAS LT, ŽŪK does

Žemės ūkio kooperatyvas 'Pienas LT' (ŽŪK Pienas LT) is the largest dairy cooperative in the Baltic States, founded in 2008 in Lithuania and operating with over 340 member dairy farms as of 2024. The cooperative serves two structurally distinct customer segments: (1) Lithuanian dairy farmers who supply raw milk and benefit from cooperative governance, transparent procurement pricing with quality-based premiums, group purchasing of agricultural inputs, and short-term financing; and (2) international food manufacturers who purchase dairy ingredients under the BaltMilk brand for use as functional inputs in yogurt, bakery, confectionery, cheese, beverages, puddings, and protein bars. Member farms collectively account for over 20% of Lithuania's total milk production, and the cooperative claims approximately 8% of the European dairy protein market.

The cooperative's core technology is the advanced automated milk protein fractionation and drying facility at the Kauno laisvoji ekonominė zona (Kaunas Free Economic Zone), described as one of the most advanced dairy processing facilities in Europe. The factory produces milk protein concentrate, micellar casein, whey protein isolate, lactose, cream, and milk filtrate powder using proprietary and highly automated production lines operated by qualified specialists. Current processing capacity exceeds 700 tonnes of raw milk per day, supported by a proprietary temperature-controlled milk collection fleet (including LNG-powered tankers) with route-optimized pickup frequency. A 50 mln EUR expansion project (2024-2028) is underway to nearly double capacity to 1,300 tonnes daily.

The business model is a vertically integrated cooperative generating revenue through two streams: (1) selling processed dairy ingredients to international food manufacturers via direct B2B export under quotation-based multi-year contracts, with 98% of BaltMilk production exported to over 40 countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and North America; and (2) reselling agricultural inputs (fertilizers, seeds, feed, crop protection products) to member farms at discounted group rates negotiated through the Agro division. Members receive milk procurement prices consistently 2-3 cents above competitors, quality-based premiums, and profit-sharing distributions. Sales revenue grew from 59.4 mln EUR in 2017 to 151.3 mln EUR in 2023, representing 2.5x growth, and the cooperative entered Lithuania's TOP 100 largest companies at 64th place (up from 268th) in 2024.

Name

PIENAS LT, ŽŪK

Legal name

Žemės ūkio kooperatyvas „Pienas LT"

Website

https://pienaslt.lt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ŽŪK 'Pienas LT' is the largest dairy cooperative in the Baltic States, serving 340+ Lithuanian member dairy farms producing over 20% of Lithuania's milk. The cooperative processes raw milk at an advanced automated Kaunas facility and exports dairy ingredients to 40+ countries under the BaltMilk brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Biruliškių kaimas, Kauno r.

HQ country

Lithuania

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Raw milk procurement and processing: The cooperative purchases raw milk from its farmer-members at competitive, transparently set procurement prices, then processes it into high-value dairy ingredients (milk protein concentrate, casein, whey proteins, lactose, cream) and exports these globally. Members receive milk price premiums based on quality metrics (somatic cell count, bacteria levels). Revenue is generated from selling processed dairy ingredients to international food industry buyers under the BaltMilk brand.
2. Agro input supply to members: The Agro division negotiates bulk purchase agreements for fertilizers, seeds, animal feed, crop protection products, and packaging materials, reselling to member farms at discounted group rates. This creates a secondary revenue and cost-saving stream, strengthening member loyalty and farm economics.
3. Short-term financing to members: The cooperative provides short-term financing to members to support farm operations, purchasing power for agricultural inputs, and project financing assistance. Financing is extended as a membership benefit to help farms manage cash flow and invest in modernization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PIENAS LT, ŽŪK is a Lithuanian agricultural cooperative that procures raw milk from its 300+ member dairy farms and processes it into industrial dairy ingredients — milk protein concentrate, casein, whey, lactose, and cream — exported globally under the BaltMilk brand. The cooperative also supplies its farmer-members with agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, and feed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BaltMilk: Consumer-facing brand for dairy products exported to over 40 countries worldwide. Products include milk protein ingredients for yogurt, baked goods, confectionery, cheese, beverages, puddings, and protein bars. 98% of BaltMilk products are exported.

Products and services

• Milk Protein Concentrate (MPC)
• Casein
• Whey products
• Lactose
• Cream
• Agricultural inputs supply (fertilizers, seeds, feed)

Quantifiable outcome

• 20% of all milk produced in Lithuania is produced and processed by cooperative members
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Eucolait (European Dairy Trade Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2024ŽŪK Pienas LT is an active member of Eucolait, the European dairy trade association. The cooperative's Business Development Manager (Nerijus Jakubauskas) represented Lithuania at Eucolait's international meeting in Brussels, discussing global dairy market trends, pricing, and the Green Deal's impact on Baltic dairy farmers.
• Kauno laisvoji ekonominė zona (Kaunas Free Economic Zone)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerŽŪK Pienas LT's dairy processing factory is located within the Kaunas Free Economic Zone (Kauno LEZ), where the cooperative built its processing plant in 2016 (inaugurated summer 2016). The LEZ location provides strategic advantages for manufacturing operations, logistics, and access to international trade infrastructure.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights11 records

Broad incumbents

• Fonterra: New Zealand dairy cooperative and world's largest dairy exporter, with extensive dairy ingredients business (whey, casein, MPC). Competes with Pienas LT globally but with much greater scale and Oceania-based supply.
• Lactalis Ingredients: Ingredients arm of Lactalis, the world's largest dairy company, producing whey, casein, lactose, and dairy proteins. Significantly larger scale than Pienas LT and competes across most dairy ingredient categories.
• Kerry Group: Irish-headquartered global food ingredients giant with a substantial dairy and protein ingredient portfolio serving food manufacturers. Overlaps with Pienas LT in B2B dairy ingredient supply, though Kerry operates across broader ingredient categories.

Regional players

• Hochwald: German dairy cooperative producing dairy ingredients and consumer dairy products. Similar cooperative model to Pienas LT but focused primarily on the German market rather than export.
• DMK Group: Germany's second-largest dairy cooperative, producing dairy ingredients and consumer products. Comparable cooperative structure and dairy processing footprint, though primarily serving German/European markets.
• Dairy Farmers of America (DFA): Largest U.S. dairy cooperative with significant ingredient manufacturing (whey proteins, milk powders). Same cooperative ownership model as Pienas LT but serves primarily the North American market rather than competing directly in Europe.

Direct peers

• FrieslandCampina Ingredients: Dutch dairy cooperative and one of the world's largest producers of whey proteins, casein, and milk-derived ingredients for B2B food manufacturers. Directly competes with BaltMilk in European dairy ingredient export markets.
• Glanbia Nutritionals: Irish-headquartered nutritionals business producing whey proteins, milk proteins, and dairy ingredients for global food, beverage, and nutrition customers. Competes with Pienas LT in premium dairy protein ingredient markets.
• Carbery Group: Irish dairy cooperative producing dairy ingredients including whey proteins and cheeses for international food industry customers. Similar cooperative model and dairy ingredient focus, though smaller scale than top players.
• Arla Foods Ingredients: Danish dairy cooperative producing whey protein, milk protein concentrate, casein, and lactose for the global food industry. Closest comparable in terms of cooperative structure, European scale, and dairy protein ingredient focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pienas-lt-%C5%BE%C5%ABk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PIENAS LT, ŽŪK