2 
operations during this period. The total number of associations market- 
ing fresh fruits and vegetables from the 48 contiguous States declined 
from 595 in 1952 to 416 in 1964, a decrease of 30 percent (table 1). 
(Eight Hawaiian associations are exeluded because of incomplete records 
for the entire 1952-64 period.) 
Between 1952 and 1964, 298 of the 595 fresh marketing cooperatives 
operating in 1952 discontinued operations (exits). At the same time, 
119 new associations (entries) began and continued operations until 
1964. An undetermined number of associations were not included in this 
Study that began and discontinued operations during the period. Fresh 
marketing cooperatives operating in both 1952 and 1964 numbered 297. 
Changes in the number of cooperatives marketing particular product 
groups were not indicative of the trend for all associations in the 
1952-64 period. For example, the number of cooperatives handling fresh 
fruits declined 38 percent while those handling fresh vegetables declined 
11 percent. The decline in number of fruit associations was heaviest 
among citrus fruit cooperatives; their numbers fell from 205to 107, a 
decline of 48 percent. Number of apple associations increased from 48 
to 51. Cooperatives handling other fruits declined 38 percent. 
The number of cooperatives handling fresh vegetables would have shown 
a net increase had it not been for the decline of 39 percent in the num- 
ber of potato associations from 1952 to 1964. Cooperatives marketing 
all other vegetables increased from 103 in 1952 to 106 in 1964. The 
number of associations handling a mixed line of fruits and vegetables 
declined over the 12-year period. 
Discontinuances (exits) of cooperatives in this period were at a rela- 
tively high rate for all commodity groups. For associations handling 
vegetables other than potatoes, exits represented 59 percent of the 
number of associations operating in 1952. The 29 exits of potato 
cooperatives accounted for 54 percent of those operating in 1952. The 
106 exits of citrus associations amounted to 52 percent of those in 
business in 1952. 
Entries, or cooperative business starts, represented a substantial share 
of the firms operating in 1964. Cooperatives beginning operations during 
the 12-year period accounted for 29 percent of the number of apple asso- 
ciations operating in 1964, 24 percent of potato associations, 18 per- 
cent of those handling fruits other than apples or citrus, and 7 percent 
of the cooperative citrus associations. 
In line with the national trend of decreasing numbers of fruit and vege- 
table marketing associations, numbers decreased in all geographic regions 
except New England. Here the number of associations was the same in 1964 
as in 1952 (figure 1, appendix table 1.) Relative change - a decline 
of 50 percent - was greatest in the West North Central and East South 
Central regions. 

