Two Dairy Cooperatives Merge

Apr 22, 2013

Farmers Co-operative Dairy Limited and Agropur Cooperative Sign Merger Deal

A new deal has been reached which will merge two dairy cooperatives. The Farmers Co-operative Dairy (Farmers) and Agropur Cooperative (Agropur) announced on Monday that they have signed a merger agreement.

"Farmers Dairy has always been a leader in the Atlantic Dairy industry and this merger is the next step in the evolution of that continued leadership. The new Agropur Cooperative allows us to continue to produce and process our milk locally while benefiting from the advantages of being part of a larger national cooperative," stated Jeannie van Dyk, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Farmers and a dairy producer in Noel Shore, Nova Scotia.

The merger will allow dairy producers to market their milk through a cooperative. Agropur was founded in 1938 and is a one of the key players in the North American dairy industry and owns a number of notable brands including: Natrel, Québon, OKA, Farmers, Central Dairies, Sealtest, Island Farms, Agropur Grand Cheddar and iögo.

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.