CropLife 100 Data Dive: Grower Consolidation
November 27, 2025 By all accounts, the 2025 growing season was an uneven year for agriculture. According to data from the 2025 CropLife 100 survey, the nation’s top ag retailers saw their overall revenues decline to $42.9 billion, down almost 1% from the 2024 total.
Now normally, in a down sales year like this, one of the trends that becomes more prevalent is consolidation. However, according to the data, there were no major company consolidations among the nation’s top ag retailers in 2025 (although it seems as if plenty are in the works for 2026).
But what about consolidation at the grower level? Here, the consolidation numbers were a bit more pronounced. According to the 2025 CropLife 100 survey, slightly more than one-third of ag retailers – 39% – saw more grower consolidation in their markets. The majority – 56% – indicated that grower consolidation in their areas was on par with what took place during the 2024 growing season. The remaining 5% said that consolidation activity among their grower-customers during 2025 actually declined compared with 2024.
Why has this been the case for grower consolidation? According to most CropLife 100 survey respondents, the changing market dynamics are partially driving this trend.
“A major source of stress is the intersection of economic instability, environmental challenges, and rapid technological change,” wrote Rob Jacobs, CEO for Cooperative Farmers Elevator, Rock Valley, IA, on his company’s CropLife 100 form. “[These] forces are transforming the industry and requiring rapid adaption and strategic foresight.”
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