13 
However, the dollar volume of purchasing by cooperatives increased 34 
percent over the 12-year period (appendix table 7). Average dollar 
volume of purchases by apple associations increased 54 percent from 
1952 to 1964, and that of citrus associations by 85 percent. Declines 
in the amount of purchasing were experienced only by those cooperatives 
handling vegetables not specifically classified and those handling mix- 
ed fruits and vegetables. 
The totalmmber of fruit and vegetable marketing cooperatives purchasing, 
marketing, and performing related service activities increased from 
135 in 1952 to 158 in 1964, or 17 percent (appendix table 8). The 
number of apple associations increased 38 percent over the 12-year per- 
iod. The number of citrus cooperatives, however, declined from 38 
to 24--a 37 percent decrease. The number of associations marketing 
other fruits, and engaged in purchasing and marketing and related ser- 
vice activities increased from 31 to 34. The number of potato asso- 
ciations increased from 20 to 21. Associations marketing vegetabtes 
other than potatoes increased from 15 to 36 or 140 percent. 
Marketing Improvements 
Fruit and vegetable growers have as much interest in improving their 
marketing operations as they have in improving crop production. Many 
associations have been formed because improvements in crop produc- 
tion required them to find new market outlets. 
Federations.--Many federations of marketing associations resulted from 
a continuing need to improve marketing opportunities. Growers whose 
local associations had made much progress in improving marketing condi- 
tions could see opportunities to find new markets, better market repre- 
sentation, and related marketing services by joining with other coopera- 
tives marketing the same products. 
These needs and opportunities were behind the formation of some of the 
large fruit marketing federations located in California, Washington, 
and Florida, that have been operating for 50 years or more. Several 
State federations of local potato associations were formed over 50 years 
ago, too, but only one of these is active today. 
Most federations, state and national, were organized when one or more 
of several conditions needed special attention, including representation 
on transportation problems and sales representation in distant markets. 
The emphasis in earlier years was on sales in termiml markets. The fed- 
eration system satisfied the wed of growers in the Pacific States, and 
in other regions far removed from important eastern terminal markets. 
The system solved many marketing problems. 
With the rise of large volume food retailing, produce buyers moved from 
the terminal markets to shipping points. These large-volume buyers buy 
on a rigid specification basis.. They frequently have multiple carlot 
