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STATEWIDE LIVESTOCK MARKETING 



A workable, flexible state-wide program 

 for livestock marketing was pre- 

 sented by George Metzger, lAA field 

 secretary, at the livestock marketing con- 

 ference held Nov. 20 during the annual 

 meeting of the Illinois Agricultural As- 

 sociation at the Hotel Sherman in Chi- 

 cago. 



The plan projects the already existing 

 livestock agency, the lAA affiliated Illi- 

 nois Livestock Marketing Association, 

 into a statewide marketing agency. 



To encompass its short and long-range 

 goals the marketing program unfolds 

 logically through three major develop- 

 ments. 



Each of these three developments, 

 Metzger explained carefully, is in itself 

 a major and complete program. Farmers 

 themselves will determine how far they 

 wish to go. 



First plan 



Metzger pointed out that development 

 of the marketing plan, the result of two 

 years of study by the lAA marketing 

 committee, can be started with marketing 

 machinery already at hand, (see map No. 



County Farm Bureaus with enough 

 livestock available to pay operating ex- 

 penses of a local cooperative concentra- 

 tion point, can set one up, finance it 

 locally, elect its own board of directors, 

 and contract with the Illinois Livestock 

 Marketing Association for sales service. 



He said that local points should be set 

 up in such a way that they could be 

 absorbed into a more extensive and co- 

 ordinated livestock marketing plan if one 

 is developed. 



Plan No. 2 



The second plan outlined by Metzger, 

 provides that a statewide marketing 

 agency be set up, financed by farmers, 

 with a board of directors elected from 

 different regions of the state, (see map 

 No. 2). 



This new agency would probably pur- 

 chase the state office of the Illinois Live- 

 stock Marketing Association, take over 

 all its contracts, and become the exclusive 

 sales agency for local concentration points 

 contracting with it for sale of hogs. 



It might also place buyers in the 

 terminal market where producer agencies 

 operate as an additional safeguard against 

 market breaks or fluctuation in the price 

 of hogs in the terminals. 



22 



Illinois Livestock Marketing Associa- 

 tion is an established marketing organ- 

 ization and has been in operation for 

 several years. These marketing points 

 would contract to market hogs only 

 through the Association but would ship 

 any other species of livestock for any 

 farmer in their community direct to a 

 producer agency on a terminal market. 



Plan No. 3 



The third proposal outlined by Metz- 

 ger provides for the same general service 

 as the second plan with one major addi- 

 tion. (See Map No. 3.) 



A number of yards located so that they 

 could be reached by farmers in a two 

 hour truck drive would be established to 

 handle all species of livestock. 



These concerns would be regionally 

 financed, would operate under a regional 

 board of directors and would contract 

 with the state sales agency for exclusive 

 sale of all species of livestock. 



Such a plan, Metzger explained, would 

 tend to coordinate livestock marketing 

 and enable farmers to gain bargaining 

 power in the sale of his livestock in a 

 degree which he does not now possess. 



It would also make it possiole for a 

 livestock producer to sell his livestock in 

 a cooperative marketing agency of his 

 own choice. 



He could ship to a commission con- 



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cern on a terminal market and Jiave his 

 stock move through cooperative channels. 



He could sell his hogs through a local 

 concentration point located rather close 

 to his home. He would have a man, 

 whom he employs, weigh and grade the 

 hogs and he could take his check home 

 with him. 



By moving other species of livestock 

 a little farther, he could do the same 

 with his cattle, sheep or calves. 



Such a plan would make it possible 

 for farmers to market livestock under a 

 cooperative plan at any time and in any 

 way they see fit. 



A fourth development in this long 

 range plan for cooperative marketing 

 presented by Metzger outlined a pro- 

 posed pilot meat packing plant. This will 

 depend on the success of^ the marketing 

 program in part, and is of necessity pro- 

 jected furtherest into the future. 



The proposed plant would cost an esti- 

 mated $400,000 to build and equip with 

 an added $350,000 for operating capital. 



It would have a capacity of approxi- 

 mately 2,000 hogs, 500 sheep, 500 cattle, 

 and 500 calves for butchering weekly. 



The idea back of the program, Metzger 

 said, is construction and operation of a 

 pilot plant large enough to gain knowl- 

 edge in cost of processing and distribu- 

 tion of meats. 



{Continued on page 24) 



Illinois Livestock Marketing Association board of direttors, left to right: (seated) Treas- 

 urer Rolpli Beckett, Macon county; Vice -President Carl Lage, McLean; President Mont Fox, 

 Vermilion; (standing) Russell V. McKee, Morshaii-Putnam; Milton W. Warren, Piatt; Sec- 

 retary Clark Wise, Champaign, and H. W. Trautmann, manager. Net In picture are Fred 

 Smittkamp, Edgar, and laRue Tice, Shelby. ' j 



L A. A. RECORD 





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