MoTEn. 297 



Fruit and Vegetables: A Large Advertising Campaign. 



Soutli Africa lias reached a stag'e of aijricultmal developiiieiit 

 where it is impelled to improve llie marketing- system so as to secure 

 ail adequate outlet and letuin for the pidduce of the farmer. This 

 ueed has aroused the producer, and the iiioveuient in the direction 

 of co-operative effort that is now discussed whenever farmers fore- 

 <>ather, shows that there has commenced that which is destined, 

 Derhaps, to stand out in history as tlie dawn of a new era in the well- 

 being- of the country. That ag'iicultuie is oui- tdiief industry is 

 acknowledp'ed, and it is fattijig' tiiat the present spirit of co-operation 

 and self-iiel{) comes direct from the farmer. 13ased on this founda- 

 tion, and with the oft-expressed recoo'jiition that loyalty and sound 

 business methods are essential, there exist the factors that ensure 

 success. An early forerunner of the new s])irit is seen in the Fruit 

 drowers' liXidiang'e that has j-ecently been foi'med, while similar 

 enterprise is imminent in other branches of production. It is at a 

 time such as this that interest is drawn to the experiences of otlier 

 countries and courage derived from the splendid results that have 

 rewarded their efforts at co-operative marketing-, 'idiere is the out- 

 standing- example of the orang-e g-rowers of California, who through 

 organized effort aided by specialized advertising, increased the sale of 

 their product by 80 ])er cent, in the short space of twelve years. 

 Similar success attended the enterprise of the citrus fruit growers of 

 Florida. These were j)ioneer movements in effecting the sale of 

 perishable produce: to-day there exist in the same country many 

 co-operative companies Avhich, with the aid of extensive advertising, 

 are reaping handsome returns. 



In England a bold and far-reach ijig S(-heme has recently been 

 advocated by the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades 

 Associations, Limited. Directed by a i)ropaganda council consist- 

 ing of unimpeachable trustees, it is ])r()posed to bring the ])roduce]- 

 and distributor together for the purpose of regulating and stimulating 

 the trade in fresh fruit and vegetables. The objects are (1) to 

 inciease the public denumd for fruit and vegetables at all seasons 

 and when i)articular varieties are in season; C2) to avoid, by stimu- 

 lating demand in this w'ay, tlie wasted produce in "glutted" 

 markets; and (■{) to nuiintain a higher price average through the 

 increased demand. The funds for this campaign will be met by 

 growers contributing kl. for each £1 realized on the market by the 

 sale of their produce, and by distributois contril)uting ;id. for each 

 £1 value of the above pi-oduce that has been handled by them. 



This is a great undertaking: flic wholesale value of fruit and 

 \egetables grown in the Ignited King(h)ni is estimated at not less than 

 forty million pounds annually, in acblition to whicli fifty-three million 

 pounds' worth are ini])orted every year, ft will naturally be carried 

 out on proper business lines, and the ])ropaganda council ])roposes 

 to establish reporting and collecting centres at various jioints in the 

 countrj' and to control the administration of these. This wall be 

 conducted economically by utilizing existing organizations to the 

 fullest possible extent. No section of the trade will be favoured 

 above another: the policy behind tlie whole undertaking will be 

 " progress with equity." 



Foremost in the council's plans is a thoroughly extensive adver- 

 tising (•am])aigii. Tn the first ])btce, it is intended by tliis means to 



