The Changing Face of the New Zealand Dairy

There were also Indians, mainly the Gujaratis, who began to sell fruit and vegetables. So they would go hawking door to door, from that they started to lease little shops.

– Professor Jacqueline Leckie on the rise of dairies

Each and every dairy owner that I know is living in fear. This profession, for them, is becoming life-threatening every day.

– Sunny Kaushal, President of the Crime Prevention Group and Establishment Chair of the Dairy and Business Owners Group

In Australia, they're milk bars; the UK, they're corner shops. You've got your Kwik-E-Marts and convenience stores in America but dairy is uniquely Zealand.

– Narrator Jacob Rajan in TV Guide, 23 January 2020

The reasons they came was because of overcrowding and they felt that they would get a better deal over here in New Zealand.

– Professor Edwina Pio on the migration of Indian people to Aotearoa

We helped out a lot. There’s no question, no expectation, we just did it. We were quite excited in the beginning just to help out and do what we can as most Indian families where they own a shop, it’s just what you do — you just help mum and dad out.

– Sandeep Jeram discusses working in a dairy from a young age

If the demands there, we’ll sell it. People are changing for the better, actually.

– Suresh Jeram on the changing habits of Kiwi consumers

I came out in 1947. I suffered directly. I went to the barber shop once in Pukekohe, here, and they said ‘No, we don’t cut your hair here.'

– Magan Ranchhod recalls experiencing racism in his community

With the growth of supermarkets and a tightening economy, it was not only getting more difficult to run a dairy, it was about to become more dangerous. With high taxation on cigarettes and increased unemployment, dairies have become the target of violent crime, and dairy owners are now fearing for their lives.

– Narrator Jacob Rajan discusses the rise of dairy related crime

There have been some isolated incidents that have happened to the stores. Even while walking down the street also sometimes it has happened to us. This makes us feel that we are the second class citizens, even though we are contributing as much as any other Kiwi.

– Kunal Saluja on his experiences with racism

Everything was spotless. Even the apples were wiped with a cloth.

– Suresh Jeram describing his father's dairy