Farmer cooperatives are a major force in the U.S. dairy industry. Their share of U.S. milk marketings rose from 53 percent in 1950 to 88 percent by 1995. Dairy cooperatives held an estimated $5.4 billion in assets in 1995. Members owned about 37 percent of the assets and creditors financed the balance with either short- or long-term debt. Hence, the financial status of dairy cooperatives is vital to not only cooperative member-owners and management but also to creditors. This study presents a compilation of financial data obtained from the annual reports of the nation’s largest dairy cooperatives between 1980 and 1995. Financial data and ratios are presented for the group as a whole. The data and derived information can be used by cooperative management and creditors to gauge the financial health of an individual dairy cooperative compared with the large cooperative dairy industry.
