34 



CCMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



Vol, 13, No. A. 



According to the school-lunch officials of both Georgia and South Carolina, 

 there was no question that the use of fish in the schools increased after the dem- 

 onstrations. To determine more accurately how effective the demonstrations had 

 been, a menu study was made of the school menus in both States before and after the 

 demonstrations. In Georgia, a 3-month period before (September-November 1948) and 

 a 3-iiLonth period after the demonstrations was used as an index of what could be ex- 

 pected on a yearly basis. Almost half of the schools represented at the Georgia 

 demonstrations were used as a sample. The survey in Georgia shovred that schools 

 not serving fish at all had decreased from 38 percent before the demonstration, to 

 7 percent after the demonstrations. It also showed that the average school was 

 buying aboiit 77 pounds of fish monthly, 33 pounds (or* 73 percent) more than had been 

 used previous to the demonstrations. 



In South Carolina a similar survey covering a 2-inonth period before (April and 

 May 1949) and after the demonstration of 25 percent of the schools represented showed 

 that the average school prior to the demonstrations had been buying about 79 pounds 

 of fish per month. After the demonstrations this increased to about 122 pounds per 

 month or an average increase of 53 pounds pei' school. 



In contrast, studies of school menus of 89 South Carolina schools T*iich did not 

 have a representative at any of the fish-cookery demonstrations revealed that less 

 fish was used in 1950 than by these schools in 1949, The actual decrease in pound- 

 age was about 1 percent, while the number of meals including fish decreased 4 per- 

 cent. 



From the data in table 1 and other data developed fran the siirvey, it has been 

 estimated that the schools of Georgia and South Carolina will use an additional 

 $227,000 vrorth of fish annually^./ as a result of the demonstrations in those States, 



Massachusetts ; The Service during 1950 completed a program in Massachusetts 

 designed to stimulate the consumption of fishery products through the school-lunch 

 program of that State. Upon the conclusion of a short preliminary survey early in 

 1949 to determine the supply and distribution facilities of the State, a comprehen- 

 sive demonstration program was arranged in cooperation with the authorities respon- 

 sible for the administration of the school-lunch program in both public and private 

 institutions , 



A series of 20 fish-cookery demonstrations were conducted by the school-lunch 

 program staff of the Educational and Market Developnent Section. 'Hiere was consid- 

 erable interest in the demonstrations , which were attended by 1,002 persons. The 



i/BASED .ON AN AVERAGE PRICE OF 35 CENTS PER POUND. 



