The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-09-06
MARKETING FARM PRODUCTS

tSOlLIIlucO l1OlIl L0SG "SChJ
Some middlemen have recently put
into operation plans to reduce the cost
Of distribution. That is, they have
tried to save some of the expense of
handlinug stuff from farmers to con-
sumers. But as yet results have not
made much impression on prices re-
ceived Or given so far as the general
public can see. One large concern,
handling fruits and vegetables claims
that it is cutting out the middlemen's
profits, but it fails to count itself.
However, if one profit could be elm
mated and. that divided between pro-
ducer and consumer it would be we'll
worth while
In some of our Southern states,
notably Texas and Mississippi, farm
ers have organized selling associations
that are putting their products on the
market at a greater profit to them
selves and at no greater cost to con-
sumers. Iowa markets major por-
tion of its cattle thru associations
There over three hundred cooperative
| farmers selling association in Califor-
! MIA.
Unlike manufacturing businesses OF
mining or merchandising, farming is
an uncertain proposition from start to
finish. These others have many ele-
ments of uncertainty, but they can be
| fairly we'll figured out as to costs OF
| labor, manipulation, quantity of pro-
duction, quality, freight, sales costs
and competition. But in farming so
much depends upon conditions that
cannot be figured out, that a single
farmer has no way of preparing for
selling till he sees what he will have
to sell as to quality and quantity.
Then it will likely be too late to affect
satisfactory arrangements.
This past season our tomato grow
ers prepared containers and other ia
cilities for shipping at least two-fifths
more tomatoes than they did and the
selling machinery was in way func-
tioning in distributing the crop, but
the rainy season put a stop to it all.
This would have been a successful
season with the rains, if our farmers
had gotten the market price for their
tomatoes. But they were contracted
and the contracts were so written
that the farmers got a price and, as
usual, assumed the risks, not only OF
weather, diseases, insects, etc, but o1
packing house managers authority OF
} grading. This does not imply that
) all the packing house managers were
unsatisfactory to deal with. And il
should be stated that our local buy
ers and managers gave entire salts
faction so far as can be learned.
The economists all state it as fun
: damental principle that farmers will
Z mot organize selling associations unit
= driven by dire necessity to do so. Th'
| first inference may be that they hav'
2 not enough sense to realize the ad
1 vantages to be gained, and to stick t.
t the organization. This is the wron.
inference. There are very few farm
e ers who do not realize the advantag
e Of cooperating. They practice it il
S the production of their crops. Their
are several obstacles.
= Instead of being a lack Of sense
= is rather lack of experience and in
: formation. Many a merchant an
e professional man has made a failur
: of farming. not always from lac
e of sense, but from a lack of exper-
2. ence and information.
d One reason why the old system cor
IS tinues to operate is that it is habf
20 Another is that, in the case of COZ
(. tracts, the farmer sees a definite prfc
If Another is that he needs financial a!
h sistance to make the crop, and II
% contractors will furnish this in Il
Concluded On Page Four