1964 cooperatives processed about 21 percent of the total U. S. fruit and 
vegetable pack. In the cooperative pack about 72 percent was canned or 
bottled, 18 percent frozen, and 10 percent dried. 
The Pacific Coast States processed about 52 percent of the cooperative pack. 
Processing cooperatives are concentrated in the Pacific, Mid Atlantic and 
South Atlantic regions. Cooperatives are relatively less important in pro- 
cessing vegetables than fruits. 
4. Forty-nine of 56 processing associations responding to the 1965 survey 
use marketing contracts between members and associations. Out of the 49 asso- 
ciations 34 required members to market all of their products through the 
cooperatives. Seventy-eight percent of 56 associations reporting use the 
pooling method of payment to growers. 
5. Food brokers play an important role in marketing fruits and vegetables 
processed by cooperatives. Of 1964-65 sales, 59 percent moved through bro- 
kers. That year 45 percent of total cooperative sales went to chainstores. 
Of this amount, 60 percent moved through brokers and 40 percent directly from 
the cooperatives. 
Bargaining.--1l. Between 1919 and 1964, 108 fruit and vegetable bargaining 
associations were organized. Seventy of them were still active in 1964. The 
main objective of these associations was to obtain, through bargaining, the 
highest return consistent with current and prospective economic conditions. 
2. Over the 1954-64 period, bargaining associations were formed for five new 
vegetable and six new fruit crops. Bargaining efforts for two vegetables 
(beets and cabbage) were discontinued during this period. 
3. To negotiate effectively, a bargaining association must control a sub- 
stantial volume of product and also be able to command recognition from 
processors. In the 1964-65 marketing year, bargaining associations nego- 
tiated for dout $52 million worth of fruits and $68 million worth of vege- 
tables. 
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