Palmer, Alaska, ... Dorothy M. Bell,Editor
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•y F\tblisfted eve^ry Friday at Palmer,* Alaska, for the Matanuska Valley
Farmers’ Cooperating Association for thte" purpose of giving news of the
Associations Work,' Problems, and Accomplishments.
SUBSCRIPTION BY MAIL $1.75 BOX $1.00 SINGLE COPY 10/
' WHAT ARE* THE ADVANTAGES OF a COOPERATIVE MARKETING?
!In 1930 the U.S. Apartment of Agriculture reported 11,400 Cooper
ative Associations with a membership of 3,000,000. This membership
represented about, 2,000,000 farmers* Almost one third of the farmers
sold some products through Cooperative Associations. The total amount
of business amounted to about $2,300,000,000. This indicates that the
farmers sold over 1/5 of their produce through Cooperative Asaoclnticns,
The most common among products to be handled by Cooperative Associa
*.ons are: grain, dairy products, livestock, and fruit & vegetables.
- The purposes for which farmers cooperatives are’ usually established
ro:
.-1. to secure higher prices for farm produce
2i to develop more’dependable markets for this produce,
3. to reduce the costs of ‘supplies purchased whenever possible, •
The Cooperative, may carry out these purpbses and objectives in these
ways. It can by pooling all products keep the mapket supplied at all
times. Standards can be set up and the goods graded carefully so that
there is a demand for their goods. They may store products in order to
sell at the most advantageous time. They con work together to secure
legislation that will protect them.
in tilt, Cooperative set-up the larmer Is relieved or the worry oi
finding 0 market for his produce. His job is to ppoduce the quality •
of products that the market demands. It is the job of his Association
to see that this produce has a market and also to obtain the best price
possible for that produce. The Association' should have very efficient
men in this field for it is the most important part of the whole set-up,
A member’s loyalty to his Coop will probably be determined to some
extent by the benefits that he gets from that Coop. These benefits may
be many If the Cooperative is operating efficiently. The first benefit
rpr.y be the profit ordinarily going to the private shipper. If the
Coop‘is as efficient as a private shipper, the profit would be returned
to the members in the'form of dividends. Another benefit may come from
Increased efficiency in operation. This can come from better use of
labor, improved management, less waste, better choice of markets, better
selling time, improved handling of goods, better storage facilities and
oetter unanciai management.' quality in many cases can ce improved. • :
The cost per unit can be reduced by handling a larger volume of goods*
’t if the Cooperative, is les.s efficient than competing private middle
n, then there is no profit from' this source. The larger association
m increase the demand for its goods by effective advertising. It.,
can establish standards aftd by careful grading, handling--and packing
cut a superior product on the market at all time's. A Coop can store
goods until the market needs them and demands them. By pooling, produce
nay be ‘‘sold, at thje b'est’ times and each grower will receive the same
unit price. Goods-of different qualities should be placed in different
pools. • . . t • ■ : ' , . •
These are some of the.'most important benefits gained by having a
Cooperative J/Iarketirig. Association, If it is* efficiently; managed and
loyally supported! by 'tiip members, no private competitive, concern is
strong enough to; wreck J.t . • . . i'.
We have a. new field i$ Alaska to develop, it takas, -time to become
established, but while we are building, let us build- wall. There is no
reason that tb© Matanuska Maid Products cannot* become a«‘ famous and as
much in demand here as ”Land O'Lakes” is in its’ locality* Let us make
the name ‘’Matanuska Maid” mean quality.
• -.' [. ' -.-.The Editor