and Diamond Walnut have installed cogeneration 

 plants to generate electricity by burning hulls. The 

 cooperatives can supply their total heat and electricity 

 needs and sell excess power to area utilities. 



Historically, western cooperatives have been active 

 in exporting. Of 63 cooperatives involved in direct 

 exporting in 1980, 26 were from this section of the 

 country. Major commodities were fruits, vegetables, 

 and nuts; cotton: grains and oilseeds The western 

 contribution to U.S. co-op direct exporting is evident in 

 the fact that the largest number of cooperatives 

 exporting from a specific commodity group was 22 

 fruit cooperatives with direct exports valued at $408 

 million. 



Western states, particularly in California and Wash- 

 ington, dominate the nation's fruit and vegetable bar- 

 gaining cooperative activity. Data compiled in 1978 

 indicate the nation had 34 negotiating associations 

 with 15,700 members producing crops valued at more 

 than $850 million. Western states accounted for 22 

 associations with 10,900 members and crops valued 

 at nearly $680 million California and North Dakota are 

 both significant states in bargaining activity for 

 sugarbeets. 



Table 1 — Cooperative numbers, membership, busi- 

 ness volume for selected western states, 1979 



Table 3 — Combined share of the marketing activ- 

 ity, western cooperatives, by commodity, 1980 



Commodity 



Sugar 



Dairy 



Grain 



Rice 



Fruits, vegetables, nuts 



Cotton 



Poultry 



Livestock 



Use of cooperative business organizations by 

 ranchers and growers in western agriculture accounts 

 for a significant amount of business activity This 

 activity manifests itself through domestic as well as 

 international market activity, often involving branded 

 products Western cooperatives are characterized by 

 more individual centralized commodity marketing orga- 

 nizations than IS true in many other parts of the coun- 

 try where diversified farm supply/ marketing 

 organizations are found. 



Cooperatively owned businesses provide ranchers 

 and growers with a voice in the marketplace and an 

 opportunity to add value to on-farm production Vig- 

 orous marketing initiatives have paid off by providing 

 stronger production units and economically healthier 

 rural communities Cooperation is an idea that works 

 in western agriculture. ,v 



'^' 



s 



Total . 1,282 685,039 10,339,259 



* Volume not shown to prevent disclosure of individ- 

 ual cooperative data. 



52 



