Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-11-10
MEAT PRODUCERS
GET LARGE SHARE
Farmers Receive 81 to 85 Per
Cent of Prices Paid, U. S.
Quiz Shows.
RETAILERS PORTION VARIES
Amount Taken by Dealers Ranges
From to 3s Per Cent-StiII
Smaller Margin Goes
to Packers.

Uncle Sans experts, after year Of
investigation into the livestock and
meat markets as to the relative cost of
different factors or steps in marketing
animals and proportions of final price
reaching farmers and other parties to
transactions, both through centralized
markets and where the animals were
disposed of locally, have reached these
conclusions:
In the centralized markets the
farmers share of the gross returns
ranged from 81 per cent to So per cent,
while from 2 per cent to 5 per cent
went to pay market expenses, 2 per
cent to 9 per cent to the packers and
8 per cent to 33 per cent to the retail
erS.
In the local sales from 62 per cent
to "a per cent Of the gross returns was
received by the farmers and from Is
per cent to 38 per cent by the retailer.
Central Sales Bring Most.
The detailed figures indicate, howev-
er, that even when account is taken
of the fact that lower grade stock is
sold locally, the returns from such
sales are not as great relatively as
those from sales through centralized
markets.
The investigations covered the lead
Ing markets of the country. The spe-
cialists, under direction of A. D. Mel
vim, chief of the bureau of animal in
dustry, and G. J, Brand, chief of the
bureau of markets, traced several typ
ical lots of beef cattle from producer
TO consumer.
The three general methods of mar
keting found to be in most common
use, says the report, are shipping to
the large centralized markets, selling
to local butchers and packers, and
the sale of farm-prepared meats to
dealers or consumers. The bulk of
the animals from central states is
sold through the centralized markets,
while some form of local market
ing predominates in the extreme
eastern, western and southern sec
tons.
The great central markets handle
four-fifths of the sheep and lambs
two-thfrds of the hogs and approx
mately one-half of the beef cattle
For local slaughter, about one-thirC
of the beef cattle, one-eighth of thu
sheep and lambs and one-twelfth of thu
hogs are sold. Nearly one-third o.
the hogs and about one-tenth of th'
beef cattle and one-twentieth Of tn,
sheep and lambs are slaughtered OF
farms and ranges.
Cooperation Big Factor.
Cooperative associations of cattle
raisers are becoming an important fac
tor in market, the report shows. Sev
en- hundred and fifty organization
which market cattle in co-operativ
way now exist In Is states.
The department specialists declar
| that these associations bring create
| reurns to the turner's because of re
! duction of marketing expenses an
| the realization of the preyailin
prices at the centralized markets, an
that they are also valuable becaus
of their educational features.
| The chief outlet for food produein
| animals in this country, the stud
discloses, is wholesale slaughter an
meat-packing. More than 1900 slaugl
: tering and meat-packing establish
ments were operating in the Unite
States in 1914 and turned out product
worth 1851, ,765, ,424.
!. Packing establishments buy directl
:. from the producer in California to
= greater extent than in any other stat
= or section. This practice, which,
y the opinion of specialists, will continJ
- to be important in those parts of tt
= country remote from centralized ma
!. kets, is Eost characteristic of the ives
g ern group of states in general.
= There IS a decided difference I
- opinion among producers, market me
and pacSers as to the effects of tn
= practice in sections supplied with ce
a trail markets on the general mark
!, prices Of live stock and on the prospe
= ity of cattle rai,ers.