improving the; welfare of -orodueers and consiirners cannot 

 bo attained by the simple expedient of fixing the price 

 of this or that product at some arbitrary level." 10/ 



Cooperative Vegetable Processing 



Growers may also acquire an operate their own processing plants. However, 

 vegetable processing is a hazardous industry involving many risks and 

 failures. Organizations that are able to distribute their risks over a 

 number of plants or among a number of commodities are bettpr fortified 

 against losses arising from local crop failures or other adverse de- 

 velopments than those primarily or solely dependent upon one or two 

 crops grown in a restricted .area. This circumstance may account in 

 part for the concentrated character of the vegetable canning industry, 

 which includes large nation-wide corporations that pack many different 

 products in plants located in most of the' large producing areas. 



Vegetable processing cooperatives in contrast to large private processing 

 firms, are more localized, and usually confine their operations to fewer 

 products. Hence, most of these cooperatives liave less opportunity for 

 spreading risks geographically or in terms of products. 



When conditions aren't favorable for a cooperative processing operation, 

 producers may improve their marketing situation by perfecting and supporting 

 sound bargaining associations. 



TECHNIQUES OF BARGAINING 



Important as it is for a bargaining association to have adequate volume 

 control and a sound organization structure, it is also important for 

 it to develop effective techniques for the conduct of collective bar- 

 gaining negotiations. 'Whether certain techniques work effectively 

 or not depends upon their nature and how they are initiated and carried 

 through the negotiation process. Collective bargaining is essentially 

 a process whereb- two groups reach an agreement- on various points. It 

 is a dynamic oroccss involving human emotions and psychological attitudes. 

 The attitudes developed by both sides at the bargaining table go far 

 in establishing the atmo sixhere , and the working relations between members 

 of the two groups. 



Pr eparing for N egotiations 



Before bargaining can take place it is apparent that the 4 processors or 

 buyers must r"ecognize the association as the bargaining 'agent for the 

 producers. Obtaining this recognition is usually the first step for 

 an association. Such recognition comes rather easily if the associa- 

 tion has a large percentage of total supply under its control and the 

 buyers perceive that the spokesman truly represents the rank and file 

 of the producers. 



K)7 Rcnort of the New York Kilicshed Price Committee, Febraury 

 1949, p. 188 



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