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Proposed Merger Of 2 Large Agriculture Cooperative Fails

Associated Press0

ABERDEEN, N.D. (AP) — Two century-old agriculture cooperatives based in the Dakotas will not merge this summer after a slim majority of members in one organization voted against unification.

The South Dakota Wheat Growers and North Central Farmers Elevator have been planning to join and become CentraGro Cooperatives.

The American News in Aberdeen reports 61 percent of Wheat Growers members voted to merge but only 49 percent of North Central members voted yes. The proposed merger required simple majorities from both cooperatives.

The Aberdeen-based Wheat Growers has more than 5,400 members while Ipswich-based North Central claims about 2,500.

Executives with both cooperatives in the Dakotas say merging them would have saved about $44 million over the next four years.

Both cooperatives will now move ahead as autonomous organizations.

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