ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, U.S. — Farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the U.S. will share in a record estimated $600 million disbursement from CHS Inc., the cooperative said on Feb. 4. The payments mark the largest cash return ever made by a U.S. cooperative.
"One of the most important ways we help our producer and co-op owners grow is by delivering an economic return on the business they do with us," said David Bielenberg, CHS board chairman and a Silverton, Oregon, U.S., farmer. "This – along with the quality energy and crop inputs, crop marketing and services we provide year-around – underscores the added value of being a cooperative system owner and customer."
The cash return to owners is based on record CHS net income of $1.26 billion for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2012.
The distribution beginning this month to nearly 1,200 member cooperatives and nearly 50,000 individual members and others includes cash patronage paid based on their fiscal 2012 business with CHS. CHS is also distributing cash to member cooperatives to redeem equity in the company they earned in prior years. In addition, CHS will redeem equities of eligible individual members throughout 2013 and will also pay quarterly dividends to owners of CHS preferred stock.