About

What do we do?

The NZFMA act as an advocate for the interests of Flour Millers throughout New Zealand.

Our History

The New Zealand Flour Millers Association was formed in 1901 by Flour Millers to counter the over-producing flour milling trade in New Zealand which could not withstand being opened to unfettered flour imports from across the ditch.

Our original head office was in Timaru as more than half of the wheat being produced in Canterbury was grown south of the Rangitata river.

In response to overproduction, bad debts from bakers and forward selling, the Flour Millers Association would assume control of granting milling quota and marketing the flour. Many bakers were in debt to millers so debt collection was another service offered by the Association.

Several mills refused to join the Association because they could continue milling as much wheat as they liked. Despite this, the Association had about 33 mills as members in it's founding year out of around 50 mills in the Island at the time and accounted for approximately half of the national milling capacity.

For it's services, the Association charged 5% for the service of agents and travelling salesmen.

The Association came under fire in 1903 with an enquiry into charges that it controlled the price of flour, and again in 1912 when a complaint was made of excessive profits made on flour. The government of the time decided to leave things as they were however this changed with the First World War when Wellington applied controls on wheat and Flour pricing.

This resulted in the Flour Millers Association becoming defunct and not operating by 1922.

Despite these setbacks and an intertesting history, the Flour Millers Association plays a key and integral role in New Zealand Flour Milling today.