CHS Inc., the largest U.S. farm co-operative, said on Thursday that it plans to acquire farm retail supplier DynAgra Corp, continuing its steady move into the newly opened Western Canada grain market.

Minnesota-based CHS expects to complete its acquisition of DynAgra late this month. It will operate under the name CHS DynAgra.

Western Canada’s move to an open wheat and barley market as of August 1, which ended the Canadian Wheat Board’s long marketing monopoly, has stoked interest in the region from new players.

CHS opened a small grain marketing office in Winnipeg, Manitoba last year and began buying durum wheat to take advantage of the end of the monopoly.

Western Canada’s farm retail supply industry is dominated by Viterra Inc., and other key players include Richardson International Limited, Cargill Ltd, Agrium Inc. and many independent dealers.

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