RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – End of year is the time when cooperatives share profits with their associates. In Paraná, one of the main states in this segment, invoicing should exceed R$100 billion.
This is due to the work of 179,000 producers who have joined in the cooperative concept. In the city of Campo Mourão, one of the pioneering cooperatives in the state was born 50 years ago.
COAMO was founded in 1970 with 79 farmers and today they are over 29,000. The cooperative has become the largest in Latin America and has expanded to other states such as Mato Grosso do Sul and Santa Catarina.
Last week, all of these rural producers shared R$139 million of surplus, which is what the cooperatives’ profit is known as. It is the best result since COAMO was founded.
“This money is very welcome, we have been waiting for it and we will use it well. We are very pleased with this year’s result,” celebrates farmer Rodrigo Tonet.
Across the state of Paraná, surplus from the agro sector should exceed R$3.7 billion in 2020, according to the Organization of Cooperatives (OCEPAR).
Although the balance for the year has not yet been closed, cooperatives advance part of payment and, therefore, the surplus is called the “13th salary for producers”.