The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1920-01-22
FLORIDA COMPETITION HITS
PRICES IN FRUIT MARKETS
Competition From Within the State
Drives Markets Down.

Competitive sales from within the
state without due regard to the ac-
tual value of the fruit being offered
are responsible for the present low
markets for Florida citrus fruits ra-
Their than an unwillingness on the
part of either trade or public to pay
the price for Florida fruit, This was
the opinion expressed at meeting in
Tampa Wednesday of the Sub-Ex-
change Managers Association of the
Exchange. 1t was voiced by General
Salesmanager George A. Scott, b.
president ]. H. Ross of the Exchange
and by C. H. Walker, president of the
association and manager of the Polk
County Sub-Exchange. All three
were positive in their statements and
a mass of data and figures were sub
mitted in substantiation.
1t was pointed out Florida grape
fruit is being freely offered from
some sources at as low as S1.75 per
packed box fob. certain packing
houses, Deducting frcm this the cost
of picking, hauling and pccEing, it
was said, leaves for the grower less
than actual cost of production under
present high costs of labor, fertilizer
and other items. Offers of fruit at
such prices it was said are made pos
sible only by the sale of considerable
quantities of fruit by growers to
speculative interests at low prices.
The failure of the markets to react
Following the cleaning out of imma-
ture fruit shipped early in the season
was said to be due to these low quo
tations continuing to emanate from
some spectators. That those res
ponsible for these quotations are not
concerned whether growers make a
profit or not was also stated. All
three speakers declared 1t their be-
lief that but for these quotations the
markets now would be more than
willing to pay a price which might
represent profits to growers rather
than present losses. No relief from
the present situation was suggested
until the supply of cheap fruit in the
hands of some speculative interests
lis exhausted. 1t was said Florida
citrus fruits today are the cheapest
Ifoodstuffs in the northern markets,
and that there exists an undoubted
willingness to pay for them upon a
fair basis, but for the fact the mar
kets are able thus far to obtain fruit
on the lower basis because of volun-
tary quotations. The remedy against
a repatition of the situation In future
seasone must lie in growers coming
to realize that sale to spectators at
such low prices as recently made
means actual losses to growers on
cost of production.
Careful canvass of shipments made
Lup to this time and of fruit remain
Ting in the state showed the Exchange
will this year handle by far the
greatest volume of fruit in its his
tory. and a considerable increase in
Its percentage of the total crop.
This was taken as sign growers
generally are becoming more fully
aware of the advantages offered by
the cooperative organization. It was
suggested if the Exchange continues
to grow at the same rate as shown
during the last and the present sea-
son, it will very shortly control a
majority of the acreage in the state,
when it will be in a position to exert
its influence upon market prices
which heretofore has been i'm
possible
F. A. Ziegler, of Arcadia, and Fl. F.
Phipps of Fort Myers, represented
the southern section of the state at
the meeting.