Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-01-20

j. L. Crawford, market research specialist OF the
4. { n. college, speaking at La Feria Tuesday night,
urged the Lower Rio Grande Valley to make an in
tsnsive study OF truck acreages in other winter vege-
table producing areas. He pointed out there is grave
danger Of overproduction Of various commodities and
under production Of others as q result Of the haphaz-
ard system Of planting.
Winter vegetable production is what might be
termed q highly specialized industry. The area within
the borders Of the United States where winter vege-
tables may be grown is very limited. being confined
to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the Gulf coast area
and parts Of Florida and California. The industry is
one which. if properly organized, should return large
profits.
Records compiled by marketing experts over a
period Of years indicate that when winter vegetable
growers have failed to secure profitable returns it
has almost invariably been due to overproduction.
Each season there is overproduction Of several vege-
tables ard underproduction Of others. There is no or
gained effort made in the Valley to ascertain what
other truck growing sections are planting. Some Of
the shippers endeavor TO keep in touch with the
paintings in other sections. but such data a. they
gather is often far from accurate.
The TACT that the winter vegetable industry is con-
fined 70 comparatively small areas would tend e
simplify the work of securing accurate data on acre
ages, but 50 long a. the growers are unorganized
there would be no possibility q controlling acreages.
The data. however. would be very valuable as 1t
would tend 70 equalize paintings, though not to the
extent necessary % properly control the markets.
Control Of the markets can only be obtained tarcugh
control Of acreage. planting and harvesting, and 70
secure this control would require an almost flaWless
organization Of the various sections Included IN the
winter vegetable producing areas.
IN connection with practically every organization
movement the proposition Of price fixing comes up
ard this Is frequently included III the functions Of
cooperative organizations. While It may have bene-
fetal features. the fact remains that whatever price
fixing is done must be based upon conditions ~ the
markets, not upon acgeages in the growing areas. The
coopcratives have but enc basis upon which TO fix prlc-
es-the consuming markets. They may have a genera!
idea OF the production within the territory they serve,
and may have fairly accurate data upon production
IN competing territory and the condition al stored
stocks. but until they can control 1creages, planting
and harvesting they must IA necessity base their
prices upon existing conditions in the consuming mar
ksts.
Organization Of the winter truck growing areas
with the object NJ controlling acreage. planting, hlr-
yesting and prices would he extremely difficult, but T.
not impossible At achievement. Until this Is accom-
plished winter truck growing viii always Ne more or
less Of a gamble. the prosperity of each section DE-
pending upon the planting al crops ot which the other
sections have small acreages.