Minnesota leads the nation in
co-op business volume
E. Eldon Eversull
Agricultural Economist
USDA Rural Business-Cooperative
Service
Editor’s note: Information for this
article was collected by USDA/RBS co-op
statistics staff members Celestine C.
Adams, Katherine C. DeVille and
Jacqueline E. Penn.
ven with lower prices in
many agricultural sectors,
net business volume
for the nation’s farmerowned
cooperatives
increased by almost 4 percent in 2001,
to more than $103 billion. Leading the
way once again was Minnesota with
$9.9 billion in sales by farmer cooperatives
(table 1). Minnesota took over the
top spot for the first time in 1999.
Iowa, which was the leading state in
1997, was second in 2001, with cooperative
net business volume of $9.2 billion.
Wisconsin, at $8.7 billion, fell from second
to third place. USDA has been collecting
statewide cooperative data every
other year since 1951 (figure 1).
Iowa had the largest gain in co-op
sales since 1999, increasing $1.3 billion.
Of that amount, $1.2 billion was
from additional products marketed.
Wisconsin had an additional $516 million
in marketing sales while Minnesota’s
gain of $590 million was almost
equally divided between marketing and
farm supply sales. Cooperative sales
increased in 34 states and the District
of Columbia, while 16 states experienced
a sales decline.
A breakdown by sale of individual
products shows the following highlights for the leading co-op states from
1999 to 2001:
- Minnesota cooperatives increased
sales of milk/milk products by $263
million; grains/oilseeds by $232 million
and petroleum by $256 million.
- Wisconsin cooperatives increased
milk/milk product sales by $356 million.
- Iowa cooperatives increased
grain/oilseed sales by $648 million;
livestock/poultry by $346 million and
milk/milk products by $120 million.
Cooperatives in the 10 leading
states increased their net business volume
by about $2.5 billion in 2001
compared with 1999. These cooperatives
account for 60 percent of total
net cooperative business volume, 63
percent of marketing volume, 51 percent
of farm supplies sold and 66 percent
of total service sales.
Minnesota was the top state for
marketing cooperative products; Iowa
was tops for selling farm supplies and
California had the highest service
receipts for cooperatives. Minnesota
led all states in cooperative marketing
of sugar and in manufactured food
products and was second in milk/milk
products and grains/oilseeds.
Iowa was the top state for cooperative
marketing of dry beans/peas and
grains/oilseeds and was second for livestock
and manufactured food products.
Wisconsin was first for cooperative
marketing of milk/milk products.
For cooperative farm supply sales,
Minnesota was the leader for petroleum
and was second for feed and other
miscellaneous farm supplies. Iowa was
first for cooperative sales of feed, seed,
fertilizer and crop protectants. Wisconsin
was the top cooperative state for
sales of miscellaneous farm supplies
and was second for petroleum.
Leaders in number of cooperatives
Minnesota was home to the largest
number of cooperative headquarters,
with 293, followed by North Dakota
with 239 and Texas with 238 (figure
2). The same three states also had the
most cooperatives in 1999, 1997 and
1995. The top 10 states had 56 percent
of all cooperative headquarters,
57 percent of all marketing cooperatives,
51 percent of farm supply cooperatives
and 68 percent of service
cooperatives.
Minnesota and North Dakota both
had about the same number of marketing
and farm supply cooperatives. Texas
by far had the most service cooperatives.
By individual products, North
Dakota had the most dry bean/pea,
grain/oilseed and livestock cooperatives.
Texas had the most cotton and
rice cooperatives. California had the
most fresh fruit/vegetable, nut, and
poultry cooperatives. Minnesota had
the most farm supply cooperatives.
Co-op membership leaders
Kentucky led the nation with
242,873 farmers with cooperative memberships,
followed by Virginia and Wisconsin.
The top 10 states for cooperative
memberships are shown in figure 3.
For the top 10 states, 54 percent of all
cooperative memberships are in these
states, 58 percent of all cooperative
marketing memberships, 51 percent of
farm supply and 48 percent of service.
Kentucky led all states in tobacco
cooperative memberships. Virginia had
the most nut cooperative memberships
and was second in farm supply members.
Wisconsin had the most milk/milk
products and livestock memberships.
Individual state data for farmer
cooperatives are collected every other
year by USDA Rural Business-Cooperative
Service. The survey asks for
membership, sales and marketing data
by state. The data from the 2001 survey
were used to develop this report. A
complete summary of state-by-state
cooperative activity is available in the
new USDA publication, Farmer Cooperative
Statistics, 2001, RBS Service
Report 61. To order, call (202) 720-8381, or e-mail jon.hall@usda.gov or
download at www.rurdev.usda.gov/
rbs/pub/sr61.pdf.
