Core Insights - Rabobank has released the 2025 Global Dairy Top 20 ranking, based on the projected performance of dairy companies in 2024, which is considered one of the most authoritative rankings in the global dairy industry [1][3] Group 1: Market Performance - The total revenue of the top 20 global dairy companies is projected to grow by 0.5% in 2025, following a 0.6% increase in 2024 [3] - Lactalis maintains its leading position in the dairy sector, with an estimated revenue of $31.9 billion for 2024, and is expected to continue its dominance through significant acquisitions [3][5] - Nestlé ranks second with an estimated revenue of $23.9 billion, while Dairy Farmers of America holds the third position with $23.0 billion, significantly impacted by U.S. milk prices [3][6] Group 2: Company Rankings and Changes - The 2025 ranking indicates that approximately half of the listed companies are expected to retain their positions by 2026, with major mergers anticipated to cause significant shifts in the rankings [4] - Notable mergers include Royal FrieslandCampina with Milcobel, Arla Foods with DMK, and Unilever's divestment of its ice cream business, which may lead to the exit of Unilever and DMK from the top 20 [4] - Potential candidates to fill the vacancies left by Unilever and DMK include Dream (Unilever's spun-off subsidiary) and Emmi (Swiss dairy company) [4] Group 3: Detailed Rankings - The estimated revenues for the top 5 companies in 2025 are as follows: 1. Lactalis: $31.9 billion [5] 2. Nestlé: $23.9 billion [6] 3. Dairy Farmers of America: $23.0 billion [6] 4. Danone: $20.7 billion [6] 5. Yili: $15.8 billion [6] - Other notable companies in the top 20 include Arla Foods, Fonterra, FrieslandCampina, and Unilever, with varying estimated revenues [6][7]