Show SIX BILLION A YEAR farm coops co ops do huge trade if volume of trade is any indication americas farm cooperatives are establishing themselves ever more firmly as a significant force orce in the realm of agriculture in the 1945 46 marketing year farm cooperatives with more than five million individual farmers participating did a record six billion dollar business according to an estimate by the farm credit administration ni of the department of agriculture the report came at a time when a house small business subcommittee was investigating any possible advantages the coops co ops might have over other business because of the tact fact that they are tax exempt and private enterprises ure re not leading in dollar volume of trade were some 2258 2256 grain cc operatives cooperatives which handled billion dollars worth of business during the year covered by the report dairy marketing associations previously were the leading organizations in the coop field the record business ot of all types represents a million dollar increase above the cooperative volume in the 1944 45 marketing year reported it was emphasized however that part of this increase Is undoubtedly due to the rise in prices of products farmers sell and of supplies that farmers buy minnesota again led all states in the number ol of farm arm cooperatives 1352 of them reporting memberships to talling farmers illinois was second in member membership shir with while wisconsin was waa second in the number of associations with 1002 most of them dairy groups in dollar volume the huge california cooperatives led the field with million dollars while minnesota was second with million dollars grains dry beans and rice in marketing ar cooperatives accounted for foi 2256 associations members and billions in dollar volume volum to take first place tor for the year among commodity groupings |