The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1922-07-13
PROBLEM OF MARKETING
FARM PRODUCTS
(By T. F. Peek, Commissioner q
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(By T. F. Peck, Commissioner Of
GgIieulture.l
While It is true that we are pay
ing higher taxes now ana farmers
are paying more for equipment in the
way OF farm machinery than in 1914,
Just before the world war, at the
same time we are getting more Tor
cotton, more for hogs, more for lambs
and as much for wheat and hay. In
fact, prices for products of the farm
will average a little better than IN
1914.
Still the situation Of the farmer is
serious Many of them are in debt.
When the war started in Europe
there was an immediate demand for
our agricultural products; prices
scared and continued high until 1920.
During that period there was a de-
mand for everything our industries
could produce at high prices to sup
ply the demand caused by war With
this unusual prosperity came Q period
of extravaganza and speculation.
Many farmers, who had their farms
paid for and were out of debt, sod
! them at high prices and bought larg-
err farms, paying what they had re-
ceived as first payment. They bought
expensive cars, made long trips sight
seeing and delegated the work on the
farm to others at high wages. Their
living expenses were heavy. They
ho,,cebt o,yDapciyn clofhino
When the slump came they had
saved nothing from the flush times
Their expensive mode of living had
to be abandoned and it hurt. Those
who had bought larger farms at peak
prices realized, in many cases, that
they could not sell their farms for
the Indebtedness due on them, They
could find no market for their pro-
ducts. They were stunned. The sit
uation was desperate But in spite
Of all these handicaps, they took up
the struggle and are now beginning
to emerge from a sea of troubles.
They now realize. that if they had
kept on in the even tenor of their ways
saved the profits realized from the
wartime demands for their products,
they could have passed through the
period of price depression with a
margin of profit.
The worst of that experience is be-
hind us. The lesson remains with us,
fixed in our memories, to safeguard
us from a repetition With prices of
farm products equal, and, in some
cases, better than those Immediately
preceding the war, and with the
knowledge that prices, can be very
materially increased without increas-
ing the cost to the consumer, by get
ting closer to the consumer ourselves
with our products, the situation APP
pears brighter.
The method of this has been clearly
demonstrated by those progressive
communities that have organized for
cooperative marketing. They have
solved the problem Of merchandising
their products advantageously in
stead of dumping them on the mar
ket at inopportune times. Those who
have taken up this method of market
ing their products are in position to
recover from their extravagances in
cident to the war. The cooperative
movement is spreading rapidly over
the state, as evidenced by the various
organizations and as seen from the
encouraging reports received from
sales made through these organiza-
tons.
There is nothing to be gained by
crying over spilled milk. The past is
gone and we have had our lesson. The
desperate situation from which the
farmers are now emerging was
brought about partly by conditions
they could not control and partly by
their own extravaganza, sometimes
abetted by spirit of speculation.
But the enterprising farmer sees in
the cooperative marketing plan a
way to help him out of his difficult
ties, and he is investigating the sub
ject and joining in with the move
ment.
Let's make most of the opportuni-
ties open to us. The world is de-
pending on the-farmer for food and
will pay him legitimate profit for
producing it, and that profit can be
very materially increased through
the cooperative marketing plan,
which enables the farmer and the
consumer Of his products to get
closer together to the benefit of both.