ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) — The boards of two agriculture co-ops in the Dakotas have decided to hold a second vote among their members about merging.
A narrow majority of members from North Central Farmers Elevator voted in 2015 against merging with Wheat Growers, the Aberdeen American News reported.
Merger discussions resurfaced a couple weeks ago when leaders from both groups wanted to gather member feedback on the idea amid a changing agricultural environment. The feedback collection ended Tuesday.
“Members have told us that unification will help us be better able to compete at a time when we see lots of competitor growth in the region,” said Rick Osterday, board president of the North Central Farmers Elevator. “This will help keep our businesses strong, members’ equity secure and local control intact.”
Wheat Growers Board President Hal Clemensen said the benefits of a merger are timely given aggressive agricultural competition and continued market uncertainty.
In 2015, Wheat Growers members approved the merger, but more than 50 percent of North Central members voted no. That same process of needing member approval from both co-ops will be applied again this year.
Member information meetings will be held beginning Aug. 21. Ballots will be mailed to members a week later, and voting on the merger will end Sept. 28.
Both co-ops are based in South Dakota. North Central has about 2,500 members, while the Wheat Growers has 5,400 members in eastern North Dakota and South Dakota.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
WASHINGTON — The business volume of the nation’s Top 100 agricultural cooperatives rose 16.6 percent from 2020 to 2021, reaching the third highest year on record at $171.9 billion. These co-ops also reported record net income and assets for 2021, at $6.7 billion (after taxes) and $76.0 billion, respectively. For net income, this reflected a […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio — With wheat prices already hitting a 14-year high this year, more Ohio farmers are now planning to plant more of the grain. The war in Ukraine and its impact on wheat exports is driving wheat to record prices, leading more farmers statewide to consider planting more wheat as a result. That’s according […]
HURON, S.D. — South Dakota family farmers and ranchers are in Denver [February 28] through March 1 to support grassroots policy during the 2022 National Farmers Union Convention. “This is how grassroots policy in a national organization works. We establish it here in South Dakota and then we advocate on its behalf at the National […]
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma State University (OSU) varieties continue to lead planted acres of Hard Red Winter Wheat across the state of Oklahoma, according to the April 2021 “Oklahoma Variety Report” from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. For the fourth year in a row, the top four leading wheat varieties planted in the state were […]
