Thank you.
I do not claim to have particular knowledge in that area. I must say, though, that I have seen the same thing that you are describing. As far as I know, there haven’t been any studies to support what I am going to say, but I think, as you do, that the cooperatives are facing competitive pressures, in Canada and abroad, in the various areas in which they operate. To deal with the external pressures, they group together to be better able to provide their members with services at a better price.