THE CO-OFEKATIVE MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE 



Complete data are also lacking as to the turnover of the various classes 

 of associations. It is known however that 23 Fmit Growers' Associations 

 received $442,775.70 for sales and that 19 spent §60,477.67 on purchases ; 

 that 14 Egg Circles sold produce for §111,035.22 while three bought for 

 S536.50 ; that 12 Farmers' Clubs sold produce for §178,624.39 while 71 

 of them spent §225,267.89 on purchases ; and that nine Rural Organizations 

 sold for §145,011.90 while three of them bought for §5,750.52. 



§ 2. Co-operative poultry marketing in Saskatchewan. 



The practice of fattening and marketing poultry co-operatively was 

 introduced into .Saskatchewan in 1907, when the Provincial Dairy Commis- 

 sioner established two stations for fattening poultry in connection with two 

 government creameries. I.,ocal farmers brought their birds to these sta- 

 tions to be fattened ; and on fixed and widely advertised dates a poultry 

 expert in the employ of the Dairy Branch gave demonstrations at the sta- 

 tions' of killing and dry plucking and delivered lectures on various subjects 

 connected with poultry farming. The dressed poultiy was then sold b}' 

 the Dairy Commissioner, and the proceeds, less the cost of fattening and 

 marketing, remitted to the producers. This system of marketing aroused 

 considerable interest ; and in 191 3 eight stations were at work and dealt 

 with 5,126 pounds of poultr3". 



It was however realized that these stations could serve only a limited 

 number of persons. As many had become familiar with the methods of 

 fattening, it was decided to discontinue the stations and place the services 

 of the Department of Agriculture at the disposal of all poultry farmers in 

 the province. It had been found that poultry dressed on farms did not sell 

 well, largely because the birds were seldom thus properly killed and dressed, 

 and therefore did not keep well even in cold storage. It seemed therefore 

 that the department could most usefully establish one or more killing and 

 marketing stations to which farmers could send the birds they fattened, to 

 be killed and dressed on a uniform plan by experts and afterwards sold in 

 quantities large enough to attract the attention of the principal poulterers' 

 firm. 



In the autumn of 1915 this work was undertaken by the Co-operaLive 

 Organization Branch ; and with the heljj of the department of poultrj'- 

 husbandry in the provincial agricultural college a poultry killing and 

 marketing station at Saskatoon was conducted during December. As the 

 birds reached this station the}' were weighed and graded, and an advance 

 payment of the approximate amount of the current market price was 

 sent to the owner. The birds were killed, dressed, and placed in cold storage 

 until February, when they were sold and the price received for them, less the 

 sum advanced and the cost of handling, sent to the owner. Altogether 

 18,799 pounds of poultry passed through this station ; and the prices 

 realized were higher by from three to five cents a pound than those locall}^ 

 prevalent at that season, and gave general satisfaction. 



