TIMELINE 1948
From the FFVA Annual Digest, 1948
What can we learn from the 1947-48 season?
The grower or shipper who does not learn some new lessons each year
will eventually go out of business. We know that you learned something
from your own experiences, and FFVA presents below a brief summary of a
few of the lessons learned the hard way by other vegetable growers and
shippers. This list is NOT complete, but it does show that the
“other fellow” is getting pinched too, and that you will
have to work with him to solve many of these problems.
Production
Everglades growers learned that
fertile land without adequate water control is better for fishing than
for farming.
Celery growers learned that it is possible to have
“over-production” and low prices after a major disaster has
damaged the crop.
Growers of practically all commodities learned that bad weather in
Florida may reduce the crop, but that
this does not necessarily mean high prices, for competitive areas can
usually supply the nation’s demands.
All growers learned (or should have) that production costs were
higher than ever before, and the must reduce their unit cost through
greater efficiency and the intelligent use of the results of
research.
All growers should have learned that today’s labor is
inefficient and expensive and that labor-handling practices must be
improved if they expect to bring down their cost of production and
handling.
Sweet corn growers learned that worms like this product as well as
humans, and the only constant preventive treatment means clean corn.
Bean growers – and we hope others – learned that field
sanitation is necessary to bringing a clean crop, with good yields, to
maturity. Weeds and old vines provide free summer board and lodging for
varmints.
Handling
Sweet corn growers learned, through FFVA-sponsored research, that it
is practical and profitable to leave the trash at home for the cows, and
to ship only the edible ear.
Bean growers and shippers learned that this delicate product must be
carefully handled after harvesting; otherwise it will arrive at market
in bad shape.
More potato growers and shippers learned that washing, treatment for
disease and careful grading can boost the market price for their
product.
Transportation
Shippers learned that increased rail rate charges can restrict the
number of distant markets they can profitably serve.
And they should have learned that we will never be free of the danger
of periodic strikes and embargoes, and of congested terminal markets,
unless we aid in developing the transportation of fresh vegetables in
refrigerated trucks.
Some shippers learned that half-stage icing can reduce the
transportation cost to many markets, with the same efficiency as
standard refrigeration.
Paul Dickman, our energetic chairman, learned that one truck could be
made to haul to market a load that formerly required three trucks if the
garbage is left at home.
Marketing
Pepper growers learned that you may finally produce a crop of
good-quality peppers, after months of struggle, but that doesn’t
guarantee a profit, for the other fellow may have done the same thing at
the same time.
Celery growers and shippers learned that it takes more than a brief
shipping holiday to relieve market congestion and stabilize prices, and
should have learned that an industry-wide sales promotion program would
cost only a fraction of what they lost by selling on oversupplied
markets this year.
Cabbage growers and shippers learned that the market for poor cabbage
AIN’T, but that good quality, well-grades and packaged, brings
good prices.
We all learned that the housewife is not going to pay good money for
bad vegetables; that she wants higher grades at lower prices, and we
must meet her requirements or go bust.
And in closing
We ALL learned that Congress is far more interested in farm
“programs” for supporting prices in pivotal states than in
aiding the perishable grower to help himself – and that only
limited assistance may be expected from the national farm organizations
in this fight, for their membership is largely in basic commodity
states.
We all learned again that it pays to advertise, but WE haven’t
paid to advertise.
We’ve all learned that unity of effort comes only when
conditions reach the critical stage, which is often too late.