Agriculture Cooperatives Are Proving Their Worth

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the nation’s agricultural cooperatives, which include Kansas City-based Dairy Farmers of America, posted record net income in 2015.

The overall figure for cooperatives was $7 billion, with $4.3 billion among the companies on USDA’s list of Top 100 Agriculture Cooperatives—a list that includes the Dairy Farmers of America, which maintained its #2 ranking on the list with $13.9 billion in total 2015 revenue.

According to U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, “The cooperative business model continues to perform strongly.” Vilsack added, “The latest data show that cooperatives are a key to building stronger and more vital communities, particularly in rural areas.”