All cooperative agricultural associations of any kind or character whatsoever, heretofore or hereafter organized under the laws of the State of Alabama, are hereby authorized and empowered to purchase or otherwise acquire and to hold stock in the New Orleans Bank for Cooperatives and in the Central Bank for Cooperatives in accordance with the provisions of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as heretofore amended and as it may hereafter be amended by the Congress of the United States. All corporations, heretofore or hereafter organized under the laws of the State of Alabama, which are eligible to borrow from production credit associations, are hereby authorized and empowered to purchase or otherwise acquire and to hold stock in production credit associations in accordance with the provisions of the Farm Credit Act of 1971, as heretofore amended and as it may hereafter be amended by the Congress of the United States.

Notwithstanding the provisions of other laws of the State of Alabama, any agricultural cooperative association organized under the laws of the State of Alabama or authorized to do business in said state may provide in its bylaws that the board of directors of such cooperative shall have the power to authorize the execution of mortgages covering its real property as security for debts of the cooperative; provided, that boards of directors of such cooperative associations shall not be authorized to mortgage real property unless such action is favored and approved by not less than a majority of the membership of the board of directors.