A CoBank report says the farm economy, business efficiency, and even retiring employees are contributing to agricultural cooperative consolidations. The trend of co-ops merging is occurring not only nationally but in South Dakota as well. Brenda Forman, Executive Director of the South Dakota Association of Cooperatives says those mergers have led to growth in the industry.

CoBank’s report says that while co-op numbers continue to shrink, the number of co-op owned facilities and locations are steady or growing. Forman says that’s the case in South Dakota where co-ops are in several different locations in the state.

Forman says as cooperatives have merged, they’ve also added services for their members.

CoBank notes that the average cooperative now employs more than 100 people, a 33 percent increase over the last twenty years.