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Manuka is still Chile’s largest milk producer. It farms in southern Chile, near Lake Llanquihue and the Osorno Volcano, with operations in the Los Lagos and Los Ríos regions. The company has almost 20 years of history and produces about 8–10% of Chile’s milk
A New Zealand Model in Southern Chile
Manuka’s farming system is based on New Zealand’s permanent-pasture grazing model. The company closely manages pasture growth and measures it carefully so cows graze when the grass is most nutritious. For readers in New Zealand, this makes Manuka a clear example of how Kiwi pastoral farming methods have been adapted to South America.
Manuka by the Numbers (2024–25 Season)
The 2024–25 season ran from July 2024 to June 2025.[1]
- 193 million litres of milk produced, up from 176 million litres in 2022–23 (Manuka; Manuka 2022–23 report)
- 59 dairy farms with milking parlours
- 22,981 hectares of pasture and forest, including 5,866 hectares of native forest
- 60,255 head of cattle
- 615 direct employees at peak production
Manuka says it lifted production to 193 million litres without adding infrastructure or growing its milking herd. In other words, the gain came from better efficiency rather than expansion. The company has an investment plan to grow gradually from 2027.
Animal Welfare and Certifications
Manuka was the first Latin American dairy company to earn Certified Humane® animal welfare certification and the Grass Fed certification at this scale. It has kept renewing both after strict audit programmes. Today, all of its farms hold animal welfare certification. Under the Grass Fed standard, cattle must have free access to pasture from weaning and be fed forage and supplements of natural origin.
Environment and Climate
HuellaChile, the Chilean government’s carbon management programme, has awarded Manuka its Organisational Quantification Seal for three consecutive years. An earlier carbon study measured Manuka’s emissions at 1.2 kg of CO₂ per kg of milk. The company reports that its greenhouse gas emissions remain below the global average. In the latest season, it sent 1,357 tonnes of plastics for recycling. The year before, it recycled about 340 tonnes of agricultural plastic through a partnership with Virutex.
People, Communities and Finance
Manuka’s social commitments include hiring locally, supporting local suppliers and increasing its community programmes in both regions (Manuka; BioBioChile). In 2023–24, the company secured a record syndicated loan that strengthened its finances and supports future growth. It also changed its company culture, focusing on modernising leadership.
Transparent Reporting
The 2025 Sustainability Report is Manuka’s seventh. Like earlier editions, it follows GRI standards and reports on the company’s animals, people, communities and environment.
Why It Matters for Investors
Manuka shows that southern Chile has good dairy country, with plenty of rain and grass-based farming that is increasingly certified. Its steady growth, carbon measurement and upcoming expansion point to an established rural economy in Los Lagos and Los Ríos. For international buyers, that makes the region worth a close look for pastoral and dairy land.
Latin American Real Estate News Options
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