The Commerce Commission has published a statement of preliminary issues relating to an application from George Weston Foods (NZ) Limited.
Trading as Mauri New Zealand, George Weston Foods (NZ) Limited has plans to acquire the wheat milling and storage assets used by Farmers Mill Limited to carry on its business.
The statement outlined the key competition issues that the Commission considers important in deciding whether to grant clearance to the proposed acquisition.
Both Farmers Mill and Mauri mill wheat into flour and supply this flour to customers across New Zealand.
Mauri operates flour mills in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Mauri supplies flour in bulk to large users of flour, such as industrial food manufacturers, and bagged flour to wholesalers, bakeries, and supermarkets.
Mauri’s flour is also used by the George Weston Foods’ Bakery division to produce breads and bakery goods under such brands as Tip Top and Big Ben.
The Commission invites interested parties to provide comments on the likely competitive effects of the proposed acquisition. Submissions can be sent by email to ComCom with the reference ‘Mauri/Farmers Mill’ in the subject line. Any submissions should be received by the close of business on the 3rd of July 2025.
The Commission is currently scheduled to make a decision on the application by the 7th of August 2025. However, this date may be extended as the investigation progresses.
The Statement of Preliminary Issues and a public version of the application can be found on the Commission’s case register.
