Dairy giant Arla Foods has merged its Bangladesh interests with local distributor Mutual Foods.

The companies have formed a joint venture to accelerate already strong sales growth of powdered milk in a national liquid and powdered milk market estimated at US$700m.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

“We will plough US$40m into the joint venture over the next three years with an ambition to become the leader in this market,” Sanayet Kabir Khan, CFO of newly-formed Arla Foods Bangladesh, told just-food.

He estimated the venture will see its market share rise from 20% to 30% in the next three years.

Mutual, which is also a manufacturer, has packaged and distributed Arla’s Dano milk powder, a household brand in Bangladesh since the early 1960s. It commissioned a new packaging plant last December after sales of Dano quadrupled in four years.

Established in 1962, Mutual Foods, a wing of parent Mutual Group, also established global brand Horlicks in Bangladesh.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The joint venture, 51% majority owned by Arla, this week launched Dano Daily, low-priced milk powder sachets fortified with vitamins and minerals to supplement Bangaldeshi diets.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact