CERTIFICATION                                                   EXHIBIT 31.1
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I, David H. Roche, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Minn Dak Farmers
Cooperative;

2. Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any untrue
statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this annual
report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this annual report, fairly present in all material
respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the
Company as of, and for, the periods presented in this annual report;

4. The Company's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e)) for the Company and have:

a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material
information relating to the Company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is
made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period
in which this annual report is being prepared;

b) evaluated the effectiveness of the Company's disclosure controls and
procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness
of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered
by this report based on such evaluation; and

c) disclosed in this report any change in our internal control over financial
reporting that occurred during our most recent fiscal quarter (fourth fiscal
quarter) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
affect, our internal control over financial reporting; and

5. the Company's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our
most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to our
auditors and to the audit committee of our board of directors:

a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or
operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably
likely to adversely affect our ability to record, process, summarize and report
financial information; and

b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over
financial reporting.

Date:    11-26-03                       /s/ David H. Roche
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                                        President and Chief Executive Officer


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