Regional Surpluses and Deficits 



On the fresh market, the trend to concentration of production in cer- 

 tain areas has led to a situation where interregional movement is be- 

 coming more important. ^^ During the period 1919-1921, the average 

 total regional deficit was 14,785,000 bushels, 9 percent of the average 

 total crop. During the period 1958-1960, the average total regional deficit 

 was 28,258,000 bushels, 24 percent of the average total crop. Thus, both 

 the absolute and relative quantity of fresh apples entering into inter- 

 regional trade are increasing. 



Table 9 shows the regional pattern of fresh apple production and con- 

 sumption. The largest deficit occurs in the Central Region which must 

 import from other areas almost half of the total quantities of fresh 

 apples consumed. Table 10 pertains to receipts by origin of fresh apples, 

 during the calendar years 1959 and 1960, on 24 major city markets, i*^ 

 Since the truck shipments within local producing areas are not recorded, 

 the data probably overemphasized the importance of distant shipments. 

 The main concern here, however, is the relativ^e differences in the im- 

 portance of distant supply areas between the four regions. 



Table 9. Average Regional Production and Consumption of 

 Fresh Apples, United States, 1960 



Source: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Statistics: 1961. 



* 1960 United States per capita consumption of Fresh Apple (0.418 bu.) U.S.D.A. 

 Agriculture Handbook No. 62, Supplement for 1960 to Consumption of Food in the 

 United States, 1909-52, p. 7. 



The Western Region is self-sufficient in fresh apjles. The Central 

 Region apparently relies heavily upon the Western Region, which sup- 

 plies over half of the farmer's city market apple rec ipts. Apple markets 

 in the Central Region are probably dominated by the influence of 

 shippers in the Western Region. 



Table 10 shows that over two-thirds of the apple receipts of the cities 

 in the North Atlantic Region originate within the region, the remainder 

 coming primarily from The West. Table 9 also shows there is a con- 

 siderable quantity of apples produced in the South Atlantic Region 

 which currently does not go into fresh use, but which could if cost and 



15 See Table 5, p. 12. 



1*5 These data were summarized from Table 7, p. 17. 



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