June 18, 2025 — The Commerce Commission has released a Statement of Preliminary Issues in response to an application by George Weston Foods (NZ) Limited, trading as Mauri New Zealand, to acquire the wheat milling and storage assets of Farmers Mill Limited.
The statement outlines the Commission’s early concerns about the potential impact the proposed acquisition could have on competition in the wheat milling market. As part of its ongoing investigation, the Commission is now seeking input from interested parties on the likely competitive effects of the deal.
Submissions are invited by 3 July 2025 and should be sent to registrar@comcom.govt.nz, with the subject line ‘Mauri/Farmers Mill’.
Decision Expected in August
A final decision on whether to grant clearance is currently scheduled for 7 August 2025, though this timeline may change as the Commission’s investigation continues.
Commission’s Role and Approach
The Commission reiterated that it will only grant clearance if it is satisfied the acquisition is unlikely to substantially lessen competition in any relevant market.
Both Mauri and Farmers Mill are active in wheat milling, a sector critical to the domestic flour supply chain. The proposed acquisition could therefore have implications for pricing, supply reliability, and industry concentration—issues the Commission is now examining closely.
A public version of the merger application and the Statement of Preliminary Issues are available on the Commission’s case register. Further details about how the Commission evaluates mergers can be found on its website.
