manuka

What manuka does

Manuka S.A. is Chile's largest milk producer, accounting for approximately 8% of national milk output with 193 million liters produced in the 2024-25 season. Founded in 2005 by a group of New Zealand farmers, the company operates a pasture-based free-range grazing model inspired by New Zealand's permanent pasture system, emphasizing precision pasture management, rotational grazing, and grass-fed animal husbandry. Operations span 22,981 hectares in the Los Lagos Region (with 5,866 hectares of protected native forest), 63 certified management centers including 59 milking parlors, 60,255 head of cattle, and 615 direct workers during peak production. The company holds Certified Humane Animal Welfare and Grass-Fed certifications across all farms, plus Chile Origen Consciente and HuellaChile sustainability seals.

The core business is B2B raw milk production sold to Chilean dairy processors for subsequent industrialization, generating the bulk of revenue through commodity volume. A secondary direct-to-consumer channel operates through Emporio Manuka, a retail storefront at Hacienda Coihueco selling artisanal cheeses under the Laguna Bonita brand, beef cuts, dairy products, and cage-free eggs. The company also runs the Centro de Capacitación Lechero del Sur (CCLS) through Fundación Tres Hojas, providing dairy training to external professionals and producers. Strategic priorities include operational efficiency (producing 193M liters without expanding infrastructure or herd), sustainability leadership (1.2 kg CO2 per kg of milk), and ecosystem development via cooperative partner Campos Australes with SAGO. The privately held company is led by CEO Moisés Saravia and chaired by Henry van der Heyden, with a board including multiple New Zealand-origin directors.

Name

manuka

Legal name

Manuka S.A.

Website

https://manuka.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Production

NAICS

Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120), Cheese Manufacturing (311513)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Milk Production (Raw Milk) (AFAEACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fluid Milk & Cream Processing (AFAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Raw milk production
• Dairy farming
• Artisanal cheese
• Pasture-based grazing
• Dairy retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Puerto Octay

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Raw Milk Production and Sale: Primary revenue from producing and selling raw milk to dairy processors. The company produces 193 million liters annually, contributing approximately 8% of Chile's total milk production.
2. Retail Dairy Products: Direct-to-consumer sales of artisanal cheeses and dairy products through Emporio Manuka retail location. Products include Laguna Bonita cheese brand and other dairy products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Manuka operates dairy farms in southern Chile's Los Lagos Region producing raw milk through a New Zealand-inspired free-range grazing model, selling it in bulk to dairy processors for industrialization. The company also operates Emporio Manuka, a retail store selling artisanal cheeses under the Laguna Bonita brand, dairy products, beef cuts, and cage-free eggs directly to consumers. Output reached 193 million liters annually, representing approximately 8% of Chile's total milk production.

Product overview

Manuka is a dairy production company operating as Chile's largest milk producer, contributing approximately 8% of national production. The company follows a New Zealand-inspired pasture-based grazing model. Its core product is fresh milk, with consumer-facing offerings sold under the Laguna Bonita brand and artisanal cheeses like Chanquito Manuka available at Emporio Manuka retail outlets. The company also operates the Centro de Capacitación Lechero del Sur (CCLS) through Fundación Tres Hojas for dairy sector training and publishes annual sustainability reports documenting its environmental and social performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Emporio Manuka: Retail outlet offering artisanal cheeses made exclusively with fresh milk from Manuka cows, under the Laguna Bonita brand, along with meat cuts, dairy products, and cage-free eggs.
• Laguna Bonita

Products and services

• Manuka Fresh Milk
• Laguna Bonita
• Chanquito Manuka Cheese
• Emporio Manuka
• Centro de Capacitación Lechero del Sur (CCLS)

Quantifiable outcome

• 193 million liters of milk produced without increasing infrastructure or milking herd size
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Provincial OsornocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Sports sponsorship alliance with Provincial Osorno football club. Includes youth football academy support (Escuela de Fútbol Manuka) and community engagement activities.
• VirutexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomy circular project collaboration promoting environmental sustainability through plastic reuse initiatives.
• Cooperativa Frísia (Brazil)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived delegation of 40 dairy producers from Frísia Cooperative of Brazil for knowledge sharing and best practice exchange.
• Fundación Tres HojascoreOthersManuka's corporate foundation established in 2020 to support dairy sector through training. Hosts Centro de Capacitación Lechero del Sur (CCLS) for practical and theoretical dairy training.
• Campos AustralescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociative project with SAGO (Sociedad Agrícola y Ganadera de Osorno) launched in 2016, formalized as a cooperative in 2019.
• Ketrawa LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisited Manuka facilities as part of open-door policy for industry knowledge sharing.
• Mutual de SeguridadminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSafety and self-care training collaboration with mutual safety organization for workplace accident prevention.
• CREAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural training partnership for sustainable family farming courses with neighbors in Las Juntas sector.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fonterra: Fonterra is the world's largest dairy exporter and a New Zealand cooperative that pioneered the pasture-based grazing system Manuka explicitly modeled itself on. Fonterra is a broad incumbent comparison for scale, governance, and pasture-based production methodology, even though it operates in a far larger and more export-oriented market.
• Lactalis: Lactalis is the world's largest dairy group, operating globally across fluid milk, cheese, and ingredients. As a broad incumbent, it represents the ceiling of downstream dairy value capture and a potential strategic acquirer or benchmark for Manuka's branded cheese ambitions.
• Danone: Danone is a global dairy and plant-based nutrition major with significant Latin American presence. It is a broad incumbent comparable for premium, sustainability-positioned dairy products and for potential downstream partnership or acquisition interest in Manuka.
• Nestlé Chile: Nestlé operates a large dairy and nutrition business in Chile, sourcing raw milk domestically and selling branded dairy products. As a global incumbent with deep processing and distribution capability, it represents both a customer and a competitive benchmark for downstream value capture.

Direct peers

• Soprole: Soprole is one of Chile's largest dairy processors and a major buyer of raw milk from producers like Manuka. While vertically integrated into processing and branded products, Soprole shares the same geographic and customer base, making it a key counterpart and partial value-chain peer.
• Prolesur: Prolesur is a Chilean dairy cooperative that supplies raw milk to major processors including Soprole. It competes with Manuka in the B2B raw milk supply market in southern Chile, sharing customer overlap and geographic concentration in the dairy heartland.
• Colun: Colun is Chile's largest dairy cooperative, producing fluid milk, cheeses, and dairy products across southern Chile. Like Manuka, it operates pasture-based dairy in the Los Lagos/Southern regions and serves both B2B processors and branded consumer markets, making it the closest direct comparable.
• Watts: Watts is a Chilean dairy company producing fluid milk, cheeses, and dairy desserts across the country. It competes with Manuka in branded dairy and is also a customer in the raw milk supply chain, making it a directly comparable Chilean dairy operator.

Regional players

• Gloria Group (Grupo Gloria): Grupo Gloria is a major Latin American dairy and food conglomerate headquartered in Peru with operations across the region. It is a regional peer for dairy production scale and Latin American value-chain dynamics, though it operates primarily outside Chile.
• Alpina: Alpina is a leading Colombian dairy and food company producing milk, cheeses, and yogurts in Latin America. It is a regional comparable for branded dairy value capture, vertical integration, and Latin American dairy market dynamics distinct from Manuka's Chile-only footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manuka-s-a-

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries3 records

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 manuka