The articles of merger or consolidation, or a duplicate original thereof, or a copy duly certified by the clerk or secretary of the consolidating cooperative or the new cooperative, shall be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of this State and with the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and if the same affects title to real estate in this State, shall be recorded in the office where by law a deed of such real estate is required to be recorded. The making and perfecting of such merger or consolidation shall not be effective until the same is filed in the Office of the Secretary of State as herein provided, and in the case of the new cooperative, if the same is to have capital stock, until it has filed an affidavit of the proposed issue of its stock. (Amended 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003.)