Major US Farm Co-ops CHS, Growmark Explore Collaborative Options

Two of the biggest US farm cooperatives are exploring more potential opportunities between their businesses at a time when falling grain prices have pressured agriculture companies.

CHS Inc., the top US farm co-op, will explore ways to further collaborate with Growmark over the coming months, according to a Friday joint statement from the companies.

Farm co-ops have been consolidating for decades to benefit from economies of scale and better compete with the crop trading giants that dominate global agricultural markets. Expanding world harvests have been crimping profits in the sector recently, with Minnesota-based CHS earlier this week reporting a ...