Farmer Cooperatives Announce Plans To Merge
The board of directors of Southern States Cooperative and Michigan Livestock Exchange have approved plans to merge their farmer-owned cooperatives, subject to a vote by the MLE membership. Final approval would combine the livestock marketing
- Topics: Article, National & U.S. Legalities
The board of directors of Southern States Cooperative and Michigan Livestock Exchange have approved plans to merge their farmer-owned cooperatives, subject to a vote by the MLE membership. Final approval would combine the livestock marketing strengths of MLE with the farm supply strengths of Southern States.
MLE, headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, is an innovator in developing alliances with processors, cattle feeding, direct marketing sales desks, auctions, order-buying, and video marketing. Last year MLE marketed some three million hogs and 60,000 cattle for its members, for a total value of about $750 million. In addition, through its finance company, MLE provides facility financing for farmers, as well as dairy and beef animal leasing programs.
Southern States, with its headquarters in Richmond , Virginia, is the major supplier of farm inputs, including feed, seed, crop protectants, fertilizer, farm supplies, and petroleum in the states of Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and North Carolina. Southern States’ fiscal 1997 business volume was $1.216 billion, with earnings of $33.5 million, $17.5 million of which was returned to its members in the form of patronage refunds.
Under the proposed merger, Michigan Livestock Exchange would become the Livestock Marketing Division of Southern States, operating as an allocation unit for purposes of patronage refunds, just as the Grain Marketing Division operates today
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