Tara
Tara is an Israeli dairy cooperative and dairy-products brand, known as the country's second-largest dairy processor after Tnuva.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Tara is an Israeli agricultural cooperative and dairy brand specializing in the collection, processing, and sale of milk and dairy products. It was established in 1942 by dairy farmers in and around the Nahalat Yitzhak neighborhood of Tel Aviv. The cooperative initially served as a collective representative for farmers dealing with the British Mandatory authorities, while also coordinating the purchase of fodder and the sale of agricultural output. Its earliest physical facilities included a fodder warehouse and a refrigerated room used to preserve milk during Shabbat. As milk production increased, Tara moved beyond collective marketing and began processing dairy products, first including cream and cheeses. Following the establishment of the State of Israel, new dairy regulations introduced requirements concerning pasteurization, standardized fat content, and the geographic organization of agricultural production. These changes encouraged additional farmers from Giv'atayim, Jaffa, and Petah Tikva to join the cooperative and helped expand Tara's manufacturing activities into hard cheeses. During the 1960s, the rezoning of Nahalat Yitzhak from agricultural use to urban-industrial use forced local farmers to relocate their operations. Tara consequently lost access to its original concentrated milk supply and began purchasing milk from newly organized farmers and from Tnuva. The cooperative continued to operate under representatives of its founding owners until the late 1990s, when it adopted professional management. A major ownership change took place in 2004, when Central Bottling Company Ltd., the Israeli Coca-Cola licensee, acquired Tara. The transaction connected Tara with a larger beverage and consumer-goods group and provided a corporate platform for further investment in dairy processing and distribution. In 2006, Tara entered into a licensing and know-how arrangement with Müller, the German dairy producer, reflecting an effort to use international technical expertise and product knowledge. In the same period, Tara was described as employing more than 360 people and holding an estimated 10–13 percent share of Israel's dairy market, although those historical figures should not be treated as current. Tara also broadened its portfolio through an acquisition in 2007. Its dairy subsidiary acquired Tzuriel Farm, a producer associated with hard cheeses, goat cheeses, semi-firm cheeses, and soy-based products. This expanded Tara's presence beyond mainstream fluid milk and into specialty and alternative dairy categories. Today, Tara is best understood as an Israeli dairy-processing business and consumer brand operating within the Central Bottling Company group. Its historical identity combines cooperative agricultural origins with modern branded-food manufacturing. Its core scope includes milk, cream, cheeses, and other dairy products, while its partnerships and acquisitions have supported diversification into specialty cheese and non-dairy or soy-based offerings. Tara's principal competitive context is Israel's concentrated dairy market, where it has traditionally ranked behind Tnuva in processing scale.
History
Tara was founded in 1942 by dairy farmers from Nahalat Yitzhak in Tel Aviv and nearby communities. Its original purpose was collective representation: the farmers needed an organization that could deal with the British Mandatory authorities, coordinate purchases of fodder rations, and market members’ agricultural produce. The cooperative initially operated from a small site containing a fodder warehouse and a refrigerated room for holding milk during Shabbat. The name Tara was reportedly assigned during registration when a representative arrived without having selected a formal name. Growing productivity and larger milk volumes created a surplus that enabled Tara to move into processing. The cooperative began producing cream and cheeses rather than limiting itself to the collection and sale of raw milk. After Israel was established, the Ministry of Agriculture introduced new rules governing dairy production, including pasteurization requirements, a standardized 3.5 percent fat level, and expectations that dairy farmers would operate in concentrated areas while remaining independent. These regulatory and structural changes brought additional farmers from Giv'atayim, Jaffa, and Petah Tikva into Tara's network and supported an expansion into hard-cheese production. Tara's original agricultural base was later disrupted by urban development. In the early 1960s, the Nahalat Yitzhak neighborhood was rezoned from agricultural use to urban-industrial use. Local farmers were required to move their operations, removing the cooperative's principal nearby source of milk. Tara responded by purchasing milk from farmers in other areas and from Tnuva, Israel's dominant dairy processor. This marked an important transition from a locally concentrated farmers' cooperative toward a processor dependent on a wider supply network. For much of its early history, Tara was managed by representatives of its original owners. In 1997, the cooperative decided to bring in professional management, signaling a move toward more formal corporate administration. The most consequential ownership change followed in 2004, when Central Bottling Company Ltd. acquired Tara. Central Bottling Company is associated with the Israeli Coca-Cola franchise, and the acquisition placed Tara within a larger beverage and consumer-goods group. Tara pursued international technical cooperation after the acquisition. In 2006, it signed a licensing and know-how agreement with Müller, the German dairy manufacturer. The agreement was intended to provide access to external dairy expertise and product knowledge. Historical descriptions from the mid-2000s characterized Tara as employing more than 360 workers, producing approximately 135 million liters of milk annually, and holding around 10–13 percent of Israel's dairy market. These figures belong to that period and do not establish Tara's current scale. The business also expanded through specialty dairy assets. In August 2007, Gilead Dairy, owned by Tara, acquired Tzuriel Farm. Tzuriel Farm had been established in 1986 and was known for hard cheeses, goat cheeses, and other semi-firm cheeses. It had also operated a soy-based product line since 1999. The acquisition broadened Tara's portfolio and linked its mainstream milk business with specialty cheese and alternative-product capabilities. Tara's development therefore spans three organizational phases: an agricultural cooperative created to represent and support local dairy farmers; a regulated Israeli dairy processor that adapted to changing milk-supply geography; and a branded food business integrated into Central Bottling Company's corporate group. Its principal role remains the manufacture and marketing of milk and other dairy products in Israel, with additional exposure to specialty cheeses and soy-based products through its related businesses.
- 2007
Tara-owned Gilead Dairy acquires Tzuriel Farm
[1]The acquisition expands Tara's related dairy activities into hard cheese, goat cheese, semi-firm cheese, and soy-based products.
- 2006
Tara enters a cooperation agreement with Müller
[1]A licensing and know-how agreement gives Tara access to expertise from the German dairy producer.
- 2004
Central Bottling Company acquires Tara
[1]The Israeli Coca-Cola licensee purchases Tara, changing the cooperative's ownership structure and integrating it into a larger consumer-goods group.
- 1997
Professional management is introduced
[1]Tara decides to replace management by representatives of the founding owners with professional management.
- 1960
Urban rezoning disrupts Tara's original milk supply
[1]The rezoning of Nahalat Yitzhak from agricultural to urban-industrial use forces local farmers to relocate, leading Tara to source milk from other farmers and Tnuva.
- 1942
Tara is established as a dairy farmers' cooperative
[1]Farmers from Nahalat Yitzhak and nearby areas form Tara to coordinate dealings with the British authorities, purchase fodder, and market agricultural output.
Products and positioning
An established Israeli dairy producer combining cooperative farming origins with mass-market dairy manufacturing and selected specialty-cheese and alternative-product offerings.
Fluid dairy
Milk
Milk is Tara's core product category and the foundation of its historical business. The cooperative began by collecting and marketing farmers' milk before developing processing capabilities. After its original local supply base was disrupted by urban rezoning, Tara sourced milk from a broader network of farmers and from Tnuva. Its milk business represents the brand's mainstream presence in Israel's packaged-dairy market.
Dairy
Cream
Cream was among the first processed products Tara produced after rising milk volumes created a surplus beyond the cooperative's initial agricultural-marketing role. It illustrates Tara's early transition from a farmers' organization into a dairy processor offering prepared products to consumers and commercial customers.
Cheese
Hard and semi-firm cheeses
Tara expanded into hard cheeses after post-independence dairy regulations and growing farmer participation increased its processing capabilities. The category was later reinforced through the group's connection with Tzuriel Farm, which specialized in hard and semi-firm cheeses.
Specialty cheese · 2007
Goat cheeses
Goat cheese entered Tara's broader portfolio through Tzuriel Farm, a specialty dairy producer acquired by Tara-owned Gilead Dairy in 2007. The product line gives the group a presence in differentiated cheese products alongside its larger-scale milk business.
Plant-based and alternative products · 1999
Soy-based products
Tzuriel Farm had operated a soy-based product line since 1999. Tara's acquisition of the farm added this alternative-product capability to its related dairy portfolio, although the available reference material does not specify the current range or branding of these products.
Brand decisions
2007
Gilead Dairy acquires Tzuriel FarmM&ABackground
Tara sought to broaden its portfolio beyond mainstream fluid milk and conventional dairy processing.
Action taken
Gilead Dairy, owned by Tara, acquired Tzuriel Farm, a producer of specialty cheeses and soy-based products.
Aftermath
The transaction added hard cheese, goat cheese, semi-firm cheese, and soy-based product capabilities to Tara's related operations.
2006
Tara signs a Müller licensing and know-how agreementStrategyBackground
Tara sought international dairy expertise after becoming part of Central Bottling Company's group.
Action taken
The company entered into a licensing and technical know-how arrangement with Müller of Germany.
Aftermath
The agreement strengthened Tara's access to external dairy knowledge and product-development capabilities.
2004
Central Bottling Company purchases TaraM&ABackground
Tara had evolved from a local farmers' cooperative into a significant Israeli dairy processor.
Action taken
Central Bottling Company Ltd. acquired Tara and integrated it into its broader beverage and consumer-products group.
Aftermath
Tara continued as a dairy business under new ownership, with access to the resources and corporate structure of Central Bottling Company.
1997
Tara adopts professional managementStrategyBackground
Until the late 1990s, Tara was managed by representatives of the farmers who had established the cooperative.
Action taken
The cooperative decided to appoint professional managers rather than continue relying exclusively on representatives of the original owners.
Aftermath
The change prepared Tara for a more corporate operating model and preceded its acquisition by Central Bottling Company in 2004.
Recent events
- 2007
Tara-owned Gilead Dairy acquires Tzuriel Farm[1]
M&A
A Tara-owned dairy business acquired Tzuriel Farm, expanding the group’s exposure to hard cheese, goat cheese, semi-firm cheese, and soy-based products.
- 2006
Tara signs licensing and know-how agreement with Müller[1]
M&A
Tara entered a cooperation arrangement with German dairy producer Müller covering licensing and technical know-how.
- 2004
Central Bottling Company acquires Tara[1]
M&A
Central Bottling Company Ltd., the Israeli Coca-Cola licensee, purchased Tara and brought the dairy cooperative into its broader consumer-products group.
Sources1 sources
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