Evening star., 1930-12-03
CALIFORNIA fruit
BRINGS GOOD PRICE
Cooperative Marketing Or.
ganization Protects Grow
ers in Selling Crops.
.pecial Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
LOS ANGELES, December 3.-That
1880 should be, in point of cash returns,
the record agricultural year in Southern
California, while agricultural products
in most of the rest of the world are
selling below the cost of production, is
one of the anomalies of hectic year
that is in itself an anomaly.
According to reports received by the
California Fruit Growers Exchange,
Spain raised more oranges this year
than California, but the gross returns
received by the Spanish growers were
only about half those of the orange
growers of the Southwestern United
States.
The Spanish crop, as a whole, de-
spite low labor cost, is reported to have
sold below the cost of production.
The annual report for the California
Fruit Growers, whose citrus year closes
October 81, sets the States gross re-
turns from 59,032 California cars of
citrus fruit at $135,000,000. This is
5000, 900 in excess of 1929 and S.
10000 ahead of the previous banner
year. 1927.
While the gross production was less
than last year, the higher prices re-
ceived by the growers turned deficit
in production into a profit in sales.
Total Returns Larger.
Nor was this situation peculiar to
such purely regional crops as citrus
fruits. The cash return from all soil
products Of the five counties immedi-
ately surrounding the City of Los
Angeles for 1880 were $212,06o,5 ,594, as
compared with $2O7, 7,431 ,423 for the
same crops in the same area in the best
previous year, 1927. These soil prod
ucts included, in addition to oranges
lemons and grapefruit, walnuts, beans,
grapes, alfalfa, garden truck, aVocados,
sugar beets, deciduous fruits, olives,
nursery stock, dairy products, etc.
What is the secret Of this unprece-
dented prosperity in year of general
depression? Ask any grower in the
five counties mentioned and he will re-
ply without hesitation that it is due to
cooperative production and co-opera-
tive marketing.
At a time when the Federal Farm
Board is making every effort to en-
courage the formation of workable CO.
operatives among the growers OF other
large American crops, declaring 1t to
be the boards belief that in that way
lies the salvation of American agricul-
ture. the results of such growers CO.
operation in Southern California are
of particular interest.
In this region the largest and most
successful of all crop co-operatives-
the California Fruit Growers Exchange
and the California Walnut Growers Ex-
change-are operated. Charles G. league
is president of both Something of the
Importance attached to cooperative
agriculture by the national admin!stra-
ton is indicated by the fact that Mr..
league was drafted by President Hoover
to serve on the Farm Board for the
sake of his extensive knowledge OF this
subject.
Standardized Prices.
The citrus exchanges of Southern
California marketed this year 80 per
cent of the citrus crop.
The California Fruit Growers Ex-
change has It's representatives in all the
populous communities of the United
States-North, East and Middle West.
The fruit Is taken from the packing
houses and shipped in refrigerated cars
to main diversion points. An intricate
system of telegraph communications
keeps the headquarters Of the exchange
posted on Just where there is demand
for special fruits and the quantities
that are necessary to supply the de-
mand.
Through this technical balance of sup
ply and demand no market Is glutted,
and the exchange Is able to standardize
prices.
change recognizes the value OF adver-
tisIng. The cost to the individual grow
er. on the cooperative basis, is trivial,
but the exchange Is provided with MIL
lions of dollars for an educat onal ad-
vertising campaign, covering the whole
territory where California citrus fruits
are consumed.
The exchange maintains a rigid hxed
standard for the quality of fruit that
may be sh pped and, through co-opera-
ton the grower is taught how to secure
the best yields from citrus acreage.
Compare this method of scientific CO.
operative marketing with the ancient
individualist method still pursued in
Spain and one begins to appreciate
wherein lies the distinction between
success and failure.
The Spanish growers have not yet
learned what standardization means.
Each grower picks and packs when the
spirit moves him, and is at the mercy
of the brokers for marketing his crop.
Much of the fruit is of poor quality,
because the growers have not learned
scientific irrigation and fertilization of
citrus fruit land. There is no co-ordi-
nation of shipments, and, while right
at the gates of the European markets.
one market is glutted and the fruit
spoils, while other markets are bare
This situation is fully appreciated here
by the citrus experts, for it Is the con-
dition that prevailed in the California
citrus belt 35 years ago.
Copyright, 1880, by North American News
paper Alliance)