Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-10-30
he Citrus Fruit Market.

.nah q month has elapsed since the or.,;,-
bs. - ~ marketing season. and the price
ss..on IN ie"eneo a low level that indicates the
= VIII not result in substantial profits for VALLEY
growers unless steps are immediats,r 49, = g.:
"A'e N tendency to cut prices in order n make o,;.L
sales. = maze QUICK
Q several Of the most important Texas market.
'eiesrams have beer received announcing that "cutt;rcy
= inc order Of the day; that in order to make sale.
prices are being reduced; and many dealer. IN de.
ni0u'ihg markets are taking advantage Of this situa-
= make Valley shippers bid against each other.
ms Is merely a repetition Of tho old order. Year
sier year. the Valley growers have permitted citrus
trult TO be sold in this manner. a few carloads nIaced
IN the hands Of irresponsible dealers, whose only H..
terest IN the Valley is the immediate profit from each
car being sufficient to force down prices for the entire
crop.
Instead Of the growers working together in bar-
mony for their mutual advantage they are permitting
tnelr fruit to be used in competitive practices which
tend to demoralize markets. In other words, the re-.
fusal Of Valley growers 20 organize and properly con-
troll marketing OF the citr~s crop is causing the loss Of
thousands Of dollars annually. and this loss will in
crease IN direct ratio to the annual increase in pro
duction.
There is no logical reason why the Valley growers
should not cash in" on the 1928 fruit crop. The de-
msnd for Texas fruit is increasing; Florida's grape
fruit production is far below normal, and if the Valley
would market its crop in an orderly manner, carefully
AtAlaHhihS iium prosecuting pfactlces Sucn as al
ready are in evidence. every box Of Valley fruit would
bring the grower a substantial profit.
The fruit deal has assumed all the characteristics
Of the vegetable deal. Buyers are ranging up and
down the Valley. buying at the lowest price possible
and quoting carload lots at figures which force down
the price for the entire production. The growers, anx-
ious TO get the fruit off the trees. are, in many cases,
sacrificing il, and supplying the irresponsible buyers
with the means 10 demoralize the markets for the Val
ley product. In the meantime, California and Florida
organizations are keeping fruit off the markets which
the Valley prosecutors have demoralized, and will wait
until the Valley has sacrificed its crop before stepping
in and gathering up the real profits.
The marketing situation in the Valley may be de-
scribed as %pitiful. The well established, well equipped
packing plants are compelled TO meet competition Of
shippers using tomato graders and similar machinery.
The leading dealers Of the state are flooded with tele-
grams and letters from the latter class Of packers
quoting %cut-throat prices on Valley fruit, and the grow
ers themselves are responsible for this condition. They
supply the fruit that II used 70 club down the price
in the Valleys markets.
The Valley cannot afford to lose the profits which
should accrue to IL from the 1928 citrus fruit crop.
Valley growers and shippers should call a mass meet
ing at some central point and decide upon some def
mite line of action to eliminate this unnecessary COM
petition and price cutting. If this is not done. the cit
rus industry will receive a setback from which it may
never recover.