Canadian dairy cooperatives, Farmers Co-operative Dairy and Agropur Cooperative have finalized the steps leading to the merging of activities of the two organisations.
Agropur produces Natrel, Quebon, Allegro, Olympic and Island Farms brands in Quebec, while the Farmers Co-operative Dairy produces the Farmers and Central Dairies brands in Atlantic Canada.
In February 2013, the two dairy cooperatives announced the merger agreement in order to better serve the customers on a national basis and support the overall objective of consolidating the cooperative milk processing sector for the benefit of the member dairy farmers.
Farmers Co-operative Dairy board of directors chairman Jeannie van Dyk said that the new Agropur Cooperative allows Farmers Co-operative to continue to produce and process its milk locally while benefiting from the advantages of being part of a larger national cooperative
Agropur board of directors chairman Serge Riendeau said that this merger puts Agropur in an excellent position to ensure the longevity of the dairy industry all across Canada.
"It also allows our members to focus their efforts on marketing their milk through a major Canadian cooperative," Riendeau added.
