Fonterra represents most dairy farmers in New Zealand and there seems little room for competition.
But in Canterbury, one company is standing up and believes that there is room for them and others who want to take up the challenge.
Synlait is the latest player to challenge Fonterra's stranglehold on the milk market.
"Competition's going to do what competition should, and that's lift the performance of everybody," Synlait CEO John Penno says. "And that's very exciting for the industry, and it's good for New Zealand."
Synlait will process $150 million of export milk powder next year which will mainly go to Asia.
While that may sound impressive, it is less than two percent of New Zealand's milk, compared to Fonterra's which has more than 90 percent of market share.
With Synlait offering farmers a no-strings business approach, Fonterra faithfuls are already jumping ship.
"For us it frees up a lot of capital because before you really had to have shares with Fonterra," dairy farmer Stuart Brander says. "Now supplying Synlait, we don't have to have shares. So we can better use that capital in other directions."
Synlait's Dunsandel factory is one of four new independent milk processing plants in the South Island with several more planned in the north.
Critics see comparisons with the meat industry, which in recent years has struggled with too many companies competing against each other for products and for markets.
Many will be keeping a watchful eye on New Zealand's most valuable industry to see how it develops and whether the small fish can cope.
3 News