The concept of agricultural cooperatives — farmers pooling
their resources for maximum gain — is far from a new concept; however, this
strategy can be identified as an emerging trend influencing feed production the
world over. In fact, such cooperatives account for the largest feed producers
in many countries.
The success of these co-ops becomes evident when reviewing Feed International’s “World’s Top Feed Companies”
report, the October/November issue’s cover story. The data used to develop
the 97-company listing was drawn from WATT Global Media’s exclusive Top Feed Companies database
and features the leading compound feed manufacturers. The companies and
cooperatives featured produced 1 million metric tons or more in 2013.
According to WATT Research, seven of the top 30 compound
feed manufacturers in 2013 are listed as farmer-owned cooperatives — even if
the companies are commercial enterprises that were created by the cooperative. Many
of these cooperatives can be found in Asia — China in particular — but the United
States has also very successfully leveraged this model.
Data collection is a cooperative
effort
WATT Global Media goes to great lengths to gather content that
can only be found on WATTAgNet.com and within the company’s trade titles. The
success of this effort hinges on the cooperation of our trusted sources — and
many times the readership — to guide the dialogue, identify the hot topics and
provide valuable insight.
To meet the needs of all stakeholder groups, we ask that
visitors to the Top Feed Companies database and related market data register to
access this information. I just wanted to offer an explanation and prepare you
for what you’ll find if you’re hoping to access the Top Companies listing and database.
I’d hate to assume that every curious party is a Feed International subscriber. If you
are not, may I suggest that you also consider signing up for a free
subscription to our digital publication? It only takes a few minutes to complete,
but will grant you access to this and other exclusive annual magazine features.
Interested? Click here.
I urge you to review the 2013 listing and offer any
trends you see evolving in the global feed industry. Want to share your thoughts?
Reach out to me directly at [email protected].
