CropLife 100: 40 Years of Facts, Figures, and Farming Fundamentals
December 4, 2023 
Back in 1984, the editors of CropLife magazine (then known as Farm Chemicals magazine) were busy planning for the publication’s 90th birthday celebration. After a period of bouncing various ideas around, the staff latched onto the idea of trying something different — rather than simply celebrate the magazine’s 90th anniversary, why not use this occasion to shine the spotlight upon the ag retail industry itself instead by putting together a listing of the nation’s top dealerships and cooperatives?
With this, what is now known as the CropLife 100 was born!
At the time, there were an estimated 25,000 ag retail locations within the U.S. Narrowing this down to 1,000, Farm Chemicals editors sent out questionnaires via regular mail to these organizations, asking them to provide financial data and answer a few other industry relevant questions along the way. With this data in hand, the staff was able to compile a Top 90 list (in honor of the magazine’s 90 years in business). The results were published in the December 1984 edition of the publication.
“The editors of Farm Chemicals have selected this special 90th anniversary issue to unveil a publishing first in our field – the first list of the 90 biggest dealer and dealer organizations retailing fertilizers and/or agricultural chemicals to U.S. farmers,” wrote the staff in that issue’s introduction to the Top 90. “There are 25 companies with sales of over $80 million – maybe not high enough to make the Fortune 500, but still a spectacular accomplishment.”
A lot has changed since that first listing. Besides expanding to 100 companies (which was done first for the 1985 rankings), the number of ag retail locations in the country has shrunk to approximately 7,000 today. In addition, the top of today’s CropLife 100 is dominated by companies with sales easily in excess of $100 million, with a handful sporting $1 billion sales figures. And $80 million in annual sales? In the 2023 CropLife 100, this would land an ag retailer in the 60s out of the 100 top companies.
To celebrate this year’s 40th anniversary of the CropLife 100, we are offering some expanded coverage throughout December, sponsored by Indigo Ag. In addition to this year’s listings and related data from the 2023 survey, we will present some historical information, looking back over the past 40 years of data, key moments, and pivotal companies that have been around throughout the entire history of the CropLife 100.
From the current editors of CropLife — with a special nod to those who pioneered the CropLife 100 back in 1984 — we hope you enjoy celebrating with us!
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