Following months of study and preparations after initial discussions began one year ago, the Boards of Directors of both Central Valley Ag Cooperatives (CVA) and United Farmers Cooperative (UFC) today (Friday) said they have unanimously approved and entered into a Letter of Intent to finalize an Agreement and Plan of Merger, which, if approved by the members and stockholders of the respective cooperatives would result in the merger of the two cooperatives into one entity.Board Chairman for Central Valley Ag, Dave Beckman, recognizes the value this proposal would bring to member-owners. “The merger of CVA and UFC is a tremendous opportunity to position two financially strong cooperatives to meet the needs of our patrons for many years to come,” said Dave. “Agriculture continues to change and evolve at a rapid pace, which in turn requires our cooperatives to have the vision to change and expand our abilities to compete in a global market place for the benefit of our membership”