BUSINESS MEMO: LARGEST COOPERATIVES

Farmland Industries and Dairy Farmers of America, two Missouri cooperatives based in Kansas City, are the top two largest cooperatives in the United States.

Farmland Industries led the way with more than $10.7 billion in revenue during 1999, up $2 billion from 1998. The farmer-owned agricultural co-op does business in all 50 states and more than 50 countries.

Dairy Farmers of America, an agriculture co-op, was the second largest cooperative business with revenues of $7.6 billion.

The nation's highest revenue-earning cooperative businesses were announced recent by the National Cooperative Bank (NCB).

Other Missouri co-ops on the "NBC Co-op 100" included Associated Electric Cooperatives, Inc., based at Springfield, Mo., with revenue of $619 million; MFA Oil Company of Columbia, at $329 million) and MFA Inc., an agriculture co-op based at Columbia, Mo., at $563 million.