China’s Yili Group has become the latest non-Western dairy processor to join the ranks of the world’s top 20 firms in the sector, according to data published today (16 June).

Yili is the 17th largest dairy processor in the world by sales, according to industry analysts at Rabobank, which revealed its Global Dairy Top-20.

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The Chinese firm, which generated sales of US$3.54bn in 2009 according to the Rabobank data, joined local peer Mengniu in the list.

Mengniu which first entered the Rabobank top 20 last year stood at 16, with annual sales of $3.77bn, the analysts said.

Norway’s Tine made its first appearance in the list, which Rabobank said was due to the company’s presence in a “relatively stable price environment”.

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“Many companies with significant exposure to commodities markets saw their sales decline due to the depressed state of the market in 2009,” Rabobank said.

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There were few changes in the top ten, with Arla Foods, last year’s eighth-largest, coming in seventh and swapping places with US co-op Dairy Farmers of America.

Nestle, Danone, Lactalis, FrieslandCampina and Fonterra made up the top five, with Dean Foods at six.

Food giants Kraft Foods and Unilever stood at nine and ten, respectively.

Rabobank hinted that the number of dairy processors outside the “mature” markets of Europe and the US in the list could and should be higher.

“Assuming a successful completion of the new Brazilian conglomerate consisting of Itambé, Centro Leche, Confepar, Mineiras Cemil and Mines Milk, the new Latin American giant will definitely enter the top 20,” Rabobank said.

“Furthermore, we may safely assume that Grupo Lala should actually be in the top 20, following its acquisition of National Dairy Holdings last year. However, lack of public financial data makes it impossible to put a hard number on Lala’s dairy sales.”