Minnesota-based CHS Inc. was the largest agricultural cooperative in the nation in 2013, according to the latest annual list by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The company was so large that it brought in more revenue – more than $44.4 billion - than the next four cooperatives combined. CHS is an energy, farm supply, grain and food co-op based in St. Paul.
Land O'Lakes, Inc., also headquartered in St. Paul, was second on the list with $14.2 billion in gross revenues. It is also categorized as a mixed co-op, with interests in farm supply, food and dairy businesses.
USDA prepares the list of 100 top agricultural cooperatives each year, and issued the latest report last week. Other Minnesota co-ops towards the top of the list were Associated Milk Producers, Inc. of New Ulm, at #12, and American Crystal Sugar Company of Moorhead at #18.
The top 100 co-ops as a group experienced a third consecutive year of record sales, according to the report, with reported revenue of $174 billion in 2013, up almost 9 percent from 2012. USDA said 2013 net income from the group was $3.5 billion, down about $25 million from the record set in 2012.
The fastest growth in the past decade has been grain cooperatives, which rose from 19 on the top 100 list in 2004 to 41 in 2013. Dairy co-ops dropped from 28 to 21 during that time, and farm supply cooperatives grew from 13 to 16 on the list.
Iowa had the most co-ops on the list with 16. Minnesota ranked second among the states with 13, followed by Nebraska with nine, and Illinois and Wisconsin with five each. In terms of total business volume, Minnesota co-ops on the list led the nation.
