Net income for the nation’s agricultural cooperatives increased 14 percent last year according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That report also lists the top 100 performing coops in the nation. Iowa is home to more Top 100 co-ops than any other state with 15, followed by Minnesota with 11 and Nebraska with Nine. Iowa Institute for Cooperatives Executive Director Dave Holm says co-ops remain important to Iowans and provide them with competitive services.
He says cooperatives have been able to weather the recent storm of low commodity prices as they’ve done in the past.
Holm says he’s not surprised the region’s cooperatives have rated high in the recent top 100 list.
The nation’s largest cooperative is Minneapolis based CHS in Minnesota with $ 34.7 billion in total business volume for 2015. Dairy Farmers of America came in second place with $ 13.9 billion in total revenue.
