COLUMBUS, Ohio – United Producers has hitched its wagon to the rising star of Southern States Cooperative and propelled itself into a formidable position in Midwest and Southeast livestock marketing.
United Producers announced recently it will lease and operate selected livestock marketing facilities owned by Southern States.
The transition is expected to be finalized by March 1.
Southern States, one of the nation’s largest farmer cooperatives with more than 300,000 members and operations in 25 states, merged in 1998 with Michigan Livestock Exchange. That gave it control of livestock facilities in Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
More facilities.
United Producers will take over the operation of these facilities in addition to the facilities it currently operates in Ohio, Indiana and Missouri.
In Ohio and Indiana, United currently holds weekly auctions in 12 locations.
United Producers was formed in 1999 by the merger of two Midwest livestock cooperatives, Producers Livestock Association of Ohio and MFA Livestock Association of Missouri.
The United Producers Cooperative now serves 40,000 livestock producers in a nine-state area.
Southern States was founded as the Virginia Seed Service in 1923, and began marketing services in the 1940s. It now purchases, processes, or manufactures feed, seed, fertilizer and fuel.
In 1998 the cooperative entered the retail farm supply business when it purchased the system of Gold Kist in eight southern states. Last year it assumed the marketing and distribution of farm and home supplies for Agway in 12 northeast states.
As part of the agreement, United now provides livestock credit services to Southern States members through its subsidiary, Producers Credit Corporation.
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