1939-194 



1948-1950 



JFMAMJJASOND 

 Months 



^ Maine (S3 Canada di Calif. 



□ l.I. HlMass. □other 



JFMAMJJASOND 

 Months 



^ Maine ^Canada ■] Calif. 



Ol.I. HlMass. (mother 



enactment of price support legisla- 

 tion to assure adequate potato sup- 

 plies, and soon the Government 

 came into the national market as an 

 important buyer. Later, growers 

 enrolled in the price support pro- 

 gram were assigned acreage allot- 

 ments. In this way, the Govern- 

 ment sought to reduce surplus pro- 

 duction, and the growers were as- 

 sured of price support. In addition, 

 several changes were made in trans- 

 portation rates of potatoes. 



The effects of these influences on 

 the market are being analyzed, and 

 it is not yet possible to evaluate 

 their economic importance. It is 

 obvious by the comparison of the 

 two graphs that something has hap- 

 pened to the typical pattern of po- 

 tato marketing in Massachusetts. 



Competitive Market Returns 



The modification of the 1939 to 

 1941 pattern is evident. Maine 



lost some of its share of the market 

 to Canada. The southern states 

 gave way in large measure to Cali- 

 fornia and Long Island. Massa- 

 chusetts lost ground to Long Island 

 and Canada, with the result that 

 the local crop marketings were 

 moved farther along into the season 

 and into more direct competition 

 with Maine. 



The influences that were chang- 

 ing the marketing pattern did not 

 cease to operate in 1951, but one 

 important variable, price supports, 

 was removed. The 1951 crop year 

 marked a return to competitive 

 marketing, but there is no evidence 

 that the pattern of 1939 to 1941 

 will be restored intact. 



For the present, we are reminded 

 that the location advantage of 

 Massachusetts farmers is subject to 

 radical change, and our potato 

 marketing structure is constantly 

 receiving the impacts of changing 

 economic conditions. 



