Farmer Cooperatives: Commercial Farmer Members and Use

Seventy-eight percent of commercial farmers were either members or nonmember patrons of marketing/farm supply cooperatives in 1986 compared with more than 76 percent in 1980. From 1980 to 1986, the percentage of commercial farmers who were members of cooperatives increased from 65 to 66 percent. Nonmember patrons held steady at 12 percent. The biggest change was an increase in percent of members among commercial farmers with sales of $500,000 and over. Members among this group increased from 56 percent in 1980 to 69 percent in 1986. The percentage of commercial farmers with multiple memberships increased and the percentage of farmers with inactive memberships decreased. The percentage using cooperatives for marketing and for purchasing increased. Forty-nine percent used a cooperative for marketing, and 71 percent used a cooperative to purchase farm supplies in 1986. Data for the study were obtained from surveys by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (formerly Statistical Reporting Service), U.S. Department of Agriculture.Farmer cooperatives, marketing cooperatives, farm supply cooperatives, cooperative members, commercial farmer, Agribusiness,

Farmer Cooperatives: Members and Use

Fifty-six percent of farmers were either members or nonmember patrons of marketing/farm supply cooperatives in both 1980 and 1986. However, the percent of farmers who held memberships dropped from 40 to 36 percent and nonmember patrons increased from 16 to 19 percent. The biggest change was an increase in percent of members among farmers with sales of $500,000 or more from 56 percent in 1980 to 69 percent in 1986. The percent of farmers with multiple and inactive memberships dropped. The percent of farmers who used cooperatives for marketing declined but increased for those who used cooperatives for purchasing farm supplies. About 508,000 farmers used a cooperative for marketing and more than 1.1 million used a cooperative to purchase farm supplies in 1986. Data for the study were obtained from surveys by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (formerly Statistical Reporting Service), U.S. Department of Agriculture

Farmer Cooperative Statistics, 1996

A survey of U.S. farmer cooperatives for 1996 showed a record gross business volume of $128.1 billion and a record net business volume of$106.2 billion for the 3,884 coop eratives in the survey. Net income of $2.25 billion in 1996 was down 4.9 percent from the record$2.36 billion in 1995. Assets, liabilities, and net worth were up. Business volume by commodity handled is reported for all cooperatives. Cooperatives are classified according to marketing, farm supply, and service function. Trends in cooperative numbers, memberships, business size, sales volume, net income, assets, liabilities, and net worth are reported, along with data on selected activities of other service organizations

FARMER COOPERATIVE STATISTICS, 2000

A survey of U.S. farmer-owned cooperatives ending their business year during calendar year 2000 showed a net business volume of $99.7 billion, up from$99.1 billion in 1999, although net income of $1.28 billion was down from$1.33 billion. Gross business volume was also up for the 3,346 cooperatives surveyed. Assets and liabilities were up and net worth was about the same. Business volume by commodity handled is reported for all cooperatives. Number of cooperatives, cooperative memberships, and number of employees are classified according to marketing, farm supply, and service function. Trends in cooperative numbers, memberships, employees, business size, sales volume, net income, assets, liabilities, and net worth are reported along with data on selected activities of other cooperative service organizations

Farmer Cooperatives: Cash Grain Farmers, Members, and Use

More than 65 percent of all grain farmers were either members or nonmember patrons of marketing and/or farm supply cooperatives in 1980 and 1986. Other findings from analysis of the data include: a decrease in nonmember nonpatrons from 1980 to 1986 and an increase in the proportion of cash grain farmers holding cooperative membership. Also, cash grain farmers’ economic participation in cooperatives was often at the highest expenditure level, particularly through farm supply expenditures; and, in general, as farm size increased, a larger percent of cash grain farmers participated in cooperatives with the exception of farmers in the largest size classes. In 1980, cash grain farmers in the Northern Plains, Pacific, Northeast, Corn Belt, and Mountain regions had the largest proportion of farmers involved in cooperatives. In 1986, the Northern Plains, Mountain, Pacific, and Lake States had the largest proportion of cash grain farmers involved in cooperatives

FARMER COOPERATIVE STATISTICS, 2000

A survey of U.S. farmer-owned cooperatives ending their business year during calendar year 2000 showed a net business volume of $99.7 billion, up from$99.1 billion in 1999, although net income of $1.28 billion was down from$1.33 billion. Gross business volume was also up for the 3,346 cooperatives surveyed. Assets and liabilities were up and net worth was about the same. Business volume by commodity handled is reported for all cooperatives. Number of cooperatives, cooperative memberships, and number of employees are classified according to marketing, farm supply, and service function. Trends in cooperative numbers, memberships, employees, business size, sales volume, net income, assets, liabilities, and net worth are reported along with data on selected activities of other cooperative service organizations

FARMER COOPERATIVE STATISTICS, 1999

A survey of U.S. farmer cooperatives ending their business year during calendar year 1999 showed a net income of $1.3 billion, down from$1.7 billion in 1998. Gross and net business volumes were down for the 3,466 cooperatives in the survey. Assets, liabilities, and net worth were up. Business volume by commodity handled is reported for all cooperatives and by State. Number of cooperatives, cooperative memberships, and number of employees are classified according to marketing, farm supply, and service function. Trends in cooperative numbers, memberships, employees, business size, sales volume, net income, assets, liabilities, and net worth are reported along with data on selected activities of other cooperative service organizations

Farmer Cooperative Statistics, 1994

A survey of U.S. farmer cooperatives for calendar year 1994 showed a record net income of $1.96 billion, up from$1.36 billion in 1993. Gross and net business volumes were also record highs for the 4,174 cooperatives included in the survey. Assets, liabilities, and net worth were up. Business volume by commodity handled is reported for all cooperatives. Number of cooperatives, cooperative memberships, and number of full-time employees are classified according to marketing, farm supply, and service function. Trends in cooperative numbers, memberships, business size, sales volume, net income, assets, liabilities, and net worth are reported along with data on selected activities of other service organizations

Dairy Farmers’ Participation in Cooperatives

Slightly less than 90 percent of all dairy farmers had some affiliation (via membership or nonmember patronage) with agricultural cooperatives in 1986. This was a small increase from 83 percent in 1980. When dairy farmers participated economically it was often on an “all-or-nothing” basis, both for marketings and-though somewhat less-supply purchases. In general, as size of farm increased a greater percent participated; though the proportions dropped off within the largest size category. Dairy farmers were loyal to membership, using membership for total marketings and supply purchases and, in particular, for high proportions of their dairy product marketings and feed purchases. The greatest participation overall was in the Lake States and Northern Plains; the lowest participation was in the Southeast, Mountain, and Pacific States