PRICE CHANGE - MCINTOSH - BOSTON MARKET 



Price changes and bushel movement are the gauges which indicate the success of 

 the marketing and the returns to the growers. 



Price changes reflect consumer demand. They indicate the willingness of the 

 market to take the offerings. They indicate how well the growers are doing in 

 selling the crop. 



The season price may start high, low or in-between depending upon the size of 

 the crop, consumer buying power, competitive prices and consumer desires. Desire 

 to use buying power for the purchase of apples is largely the result of habit, 

 competitive values, publicity, advertising as well as the attractiveness and 

 availability of selling displays. 



Current changes may be compared with the changes of other years on the basis 

 of PER CENT CHANGE from the storage season starting price of October 15. 



You can figure the per cent change and plot the changes on the chart in com- 

 parison with the twenty-five year average and the changes of the last two years. 



Price information may be secured from the Special Apple Market Report of the 

 Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. 



The solid black line in the chart on the other side indicates the price changes 

 of the firm Mcintosh, U. S. Fancy - 2^" and up '- Boston, through the period 1924-49. 

 From October 15, the average price had increased to 7.4% on November 15, 10.6% on 

 December 15, 10.1% on January 15, 15.2% on February 15, 20.7% on March 15, and 16.6% 

 on April 15. This is the 25 year average or basic price pattern. 1952 and 1953 

 price changes have been included on this chart in green for purposes of comparison. 



FIGURES USED IN MAKING THE CHART ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE 

 Firm Mcintosh, U. S. Fancy - 2^2" and up - Boston Market - 



Prepared by Frederick E. Cole, Extension Specialist, Fruit and Vegetable Marketing, 

 September, 1955. University of Masfiachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture 

 and County Extension Services Cooperating. 



