The San Francisco call., 1909-01-15
RAISINS TAKE
DROP OF TEN
CENTSAPOUND
Growers Consider Low Offers,
but Consumers Make
No Saving
Crop of $4,000 Tons on Hand
in Vineyards Around
Fresno
Suggest Starting Campaign and
Creating Wider Market
for Grape

An unusual situation. involving more
than $1,000, 600. has arisen in the raisin
trade OF California While the growers
at Fresno, with a crop Of $4,000 tons
on hand, are considering offers Of III
cents and cents a pound the consum-
ers in San Francisco have been paying
as high as is cents for the raisins
that go into their puddings and cakes.
The price has recently taken a drop
TO 10 cents a pound, but stiIl the big
question remains as to the disposition
Of the great surplus at Fresno.
The condition Of affairs is a peculiar
one. and it has brought forth a variety
OF suggestions and some experiments
IN the matter OF trade. A cooperative
movement among the growers to mar
ket their own crop in the east has re-
ceived some consideration. Heretofore
they have acted through the packers in
this city. An offer OF 2 cents q. Mound
for the greater part Of the crop TO be
taken in lump sum has also been
gwen consideration. The packers are
onering only II cents This is much
and some Of the growers have sent per
sonal agents TO Chicago and New York
10 retail their holdings
WANT WIDER MARKET
Out Of the entire situation has come
the suggestion that a wider market
should be created for the California
raisin, that the American public should
he educated TO a greater use of this
product and that new outlets for the
surplus should be found. 1t is pointed
out that markets have been created for
breakfast foods where none existed be-
fore, and il IS held that a campaign
IN behalf OF the raisin could be con-
Quoted with the same success.
In the meantime the great surplus
remains at Fresno and the market con-
unues dull and inactive. The unusual
conditions are ascribed to a number of
causes-the big carry over Of the wear
before, the financial panic and the dull
ness incident TO the presidential cleo
ton. or the fail crop. half or
$4,000 tons, remains to be sold. The
portion already disposed Of brought
prices ranging between cents and 4
cents, but now there is little activity.
There has been an oyerproduction OF
rsisins, said NJ I. Rosenberg of the
nrn OF Rosenberg Brothers & Co, local
packers. and for that reason prices
remarkable discrepancy between the
prices offered the growers and the re-
tail figures here. but I look to see a
readjustment Of the retail price There
was a big surplus from the last crop
and this has hindered the movement.
Early in the season we offered s5L cents
and 4 cents, but the growers preferred
10 hold. The surplus Of the last crop
with this seasons overproduction has
brought about the present conditions.
TRADE NOT YET ADJUSTED
Adolph GartenIaub. president Of the
Phoenix packing company, ascribed the
unusual conditions 10 a number of
causes
The surplus from last season." said
Gsutenlaub, amounted TO $4,000 tons
This seasons crop was a big one and
there are still on hand some 700 tons
] should say about 5000 tons of the
old crop and 10000 tons Of this seasons
product have been moved. This was
sold at prices ranging from 8 cents to
3 4 cents. It is possible that the retail
trade has not fully adjusted itself to
the fall in prices. The retailers still
have rsisins on hand for which they
paid cents a pound
we have been offering fancy seeded
raisins, processed, and packed IN one
pound packages, at AZ cents and choice
raisins at cents. The wholesaler is
able TO buy at AZ cents. His freight
costs him 4 a cent. The raisins thus
stand him about cents and he sells in
turn for about 5 q cents.
In loose raisins we are quoting two
crown at 2h cents and three crown
at cents. packed in 80 pound boxes
These prices carry a per cent dis
count
This same condition has arisen be-
fore IN the market for prunes and
peaches. Our raisin market is restricted
We DO not sell much outside of the
United States We have a small mar
ket IN Canada and New Zealand, but
nothing beyond that"
California supplies the raisins for the
entire United States and 1t is felt that
steps might be proftably taken to en-
large the consumption Of the Fresno
article.