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The decision-making boards at Arla Foods and DMK Group have voted in favour of the merger of the two companies, which was announced earlier this year. The merger will create a new dairy powerhouse for Europe and is now subject to regulatory approval.

In a statement on its website, DMK said: "With a majority ‘yes’ vote in Arla, DMK and DOC Kaas, the votes reflect the strong support from farmer-owners for a merger designed not just to grow, but to combine the best of both organisations for the benefit of members, colleagues, customers and consumers".

The merger will unite Arla’s international reach with DMK Group’s product profile and create a new era for the dairy sector across Europe. Since the announcement of the intended merger, both Arla and DMK Group have held a series of meetings across the companies' regions, allowing members and farmers to share their views and questions.

Jan Toft Nørgaard, chair of Arla Foods, said: "I would like to thank my fellow owners for their active participation. The approval of the decision-making bodies confirms our shared belief that Arla and DMK Group are stronger together. By combining our complementary strengths, we can secure a more sustainable and innovative dairy sector for the future, while continuing to deliver value to owners and partners."

Agreeing, Heinz Korte, chair of DMK Group, said: "At DMK, we share the same values as Arla, have the same approach to our work and a common vision for the future of the dairy industry. I am delighted that my fellow farmers today have approved the merger and thus support our approach. I would therefore like to thank all members who have shown their belief in the strength of this idea, as I firmly believe that this will prove to be a good decision."

With the boards’ approval secured, the merger will proceed to regulatory review, which is expected to conclude in early 2026. Until the final results of the regulatory review, the two companies will continue to operate as two independent entities.

Once approved, the merged entity will carry the Arla name with headquarters in Viby J, Denmark. Jan Toft Nørgaard will serve as Chair, Peder Tuborgh as CEO and Ingo Müller will join the Arla executive management team as EVP of post-merger integration.