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Agris Co-operative supports members, research centre

The Agris Co-operative board announced at its annual meeting on Jan. 15 that patronage and interest of $1 million will be returned to its farmer-owners and investors.

Sales in 2019 for Agris Co-op totalled more than $220 million, with $2.44 million allocated to support the co-op operations. Patronage rebates will be issued as 40 per cent cash and 60 per cent stock. Total retained earnings for the co-op in 2019 amounted to almost $27 million.

Agris Co-op is a 100 per cent farmer-owned grain marketing and farm-input supply company that serves more than 1,000 farmer owners in 14 locations in Essex, Kent, Elgin, Middlesex and Lambton Counties. The co-op is also a partner of Great Lakes Grain, a grain merchandising company.

“The future is bright, and we have a lot to be thankful for. Next year we look forward to AGRIS Co-operative’s 100-year anniversary,” said John Nooyen, Agris Co-op president. “Trust, knowledge and technology will take us through the next 100 years, and we should be proud of all that we have accomplished.”

During the annual meeting, Agris Co-op also pledged $100,000 towards the construction of a new Ontario Sustainable Crop Research and Innovation Centre to be built at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus.

The proposed new research centre will focus on sustainable cropping priorities for Ontario producers and will feature state-of-the-art research suites, laboratories, seed storage units and research offices. When complete, it will also be a learning centre for agricultural students in diploma or graduate programs.

The new Ontario Sustainable Crop Research and Innovation Centre will help keep Ontario agriculture globally competitive. It intends to address issues in production systems, best management practices, crop evaluation, agronomic strategies, trait development, nutrient management, land usage, resource and energy application, variety development and evaluation and plant breeding.

“This new Crop Research and Innovation Centre will not only be of tremendous benefit to the students and faculty of the Ridgetown Campus, but also to producers in southwest Ontario and across Canada, providing them with valuable agronomic information,” says Jim Campbell, Agris Co-op general manager.