Palmer, Alaska
Dorothy M, Boll, Editor
Pub? ishod onco a reck at Palmer, Alaska, for the Matapuska.Valley Farmers’ Cooperating
Association for tho purpose of giyin'g ners Of'tho Associations t;ork, problems, and
Accomplishments. ••
Subscription R-_te $1,75 per year 0^.-OO for six months lOp’ a copy\
-:—. r i /'-r—-£ -A?
I TAKE. W : HAT Off- ■ '.i i ,
* V ■. .■' . '' f ’ • ? . . ’ -
To the riany loyal'Co-op members rho’ denonstnated their faith in the Co-op Produce busi
ness by giving it full support rhon the going ras rough. It was through your sunport
that re have boon able to maintain oursolvos as a reputable supplier of produce and the,
major contondor for the Amy pro due o. contracts,
■'*' • I '"V • *: /'f ’/* . ,
The handling of the 1948 crop-Aas proven that ro have lcarnod a lesson from the past
and are in a much bott exposition,’toi do an efficient job of marketing...
■ -t
To have just completed tho delivery of potatoos under the 1948 contract. Yes, ro came
out a for tons short, but not nearly as short as many predicted. True, ro had to buy
from non-members at a higher prico to keep the contract, but by so doing ro demonstrated
that re definitely cure in tho business and intend to sthy in tho business. This meant
a lot v:hon it .came tine for tho nor contracts to bo lot, •
Our contract calls for approximately the same quantities’that rere sold last fall,Tho
prices in nearly every instance aro better. It’s up to all Co-op grorors nor'to get
behind tho.Produce Department.and make it a successful part of our enterprise.
******
whi.. 31 t s i'm::r7
In an ad by the Atlantic Commission Company arid affiliate of The Great Atlantic &
Pacific Tea Company the foil or iny explanation *nas givfen on the setting of Produce
prices. It is clearly explained rithout too much detail.
Every day millions of American houscrivos tak'c their" food dollars to the market-placo
to do the family shopping. Their collective Choice,’determines rhat products rill bo
sold; and that, in turn, has the greatest bearing on’ the prices these products rill
bring. _ .
Pr-icc is alrays of prime importance to both grorors and distributors, for a for cents
either ray .can oftch mean the difference .between a profit or a loss.
Pair produce trices hre important to all liner icon citizens 03 v:oll, for this nation
cannot afford to get lor food prices by bankrupting asricultp.ro. Agricultural pros
perity.is essential to thp nation's prosperity, ' 1 ' ’■
Tie rpust recognize, horever, that neither grower, nor shinper* nor rhoicsales, 'nor re
tailer "sets"produce prices. In this, the most competitive of all businesses, prices
arc established in a free market b - the old lar of supply and denandi
Pood prices go up or dom as those tro factors*-the market supply and the consumer
demand—get out of balance rith each other, one ray or the other.
Limited quantities and superior quality produce on the market shift the baldric6'in
favor of higher prices, Excessive quantities or inferior produce shift the balance Pri
tovard lover prices.
Fortunately, grovers and distributors noed not and do not loavo so vital a natter af
fecting the national .volfaro entirely to chance. Their initial efforts have been suc
cessful, much has been done rithin the francrork of a free, competitive market to
help keep the tv in factors' of supply and' demand in healthy balaneo. And much more con
be done.
uxuijrt uxiun o.lusjsh m ujssu'-U, ~itn greatest empnasis on tnoso variotios on joying
greatest public favor.
EFE3CT I’ORE ORDERLY MARKETING and equalize distribution s6 that peaks and valleys, in
the supply fror.r day to day, and on each individual market, rill’be nininizod.
IMPROVE DUALITY, adhere closor to good grade and pack standards, and kcon inferior,
unripe and off-grndo produce off the quality narkcst,
CUT COSTS both in production and distribution so as to narrovr the spread bet' cor. fern
and retail nrico, increase d'enand, and increase returns to grorers.
STMTJL'.TC PEVITD through intensive advertising, attractive produce displays, and ef
fective point-of-sale nopchandising, ,
All these things call for tconnork., ..cooperation...,working together. These arc over
worked rords. Uo’vc used then over and over agaip, .and so has everybody else in tho
food'industry. Bit if grorors and distributors really believe in then and prictico"
then, it rill help bring stability and continued prosperity to the perishable field.