CALIFORNIA AVOCADO ASSOCIATION 



73 



First, selling by grower direct to the consumer, such as large hotels, cafes 

 and clubs in Los Angeles. 



Second, selling to a jobber, broker or retailer. 



Third, shipping direct by grower to San Francisco and other outside points. 



Fourth, selling fruit on the tree to a speculator or buyer. 



These methods have served their purpose very well and the avocado grower 

 has no reason to complain on the returns he has received for his product, but the 

 time is fast approaching and in fact is already here, when these methods are insuf- 

 ficient to market the quantity of fruit produced and still bring the grower all 

 that his fruit is worth. 



The reason for the success of these methods in the peist has been the 

 demand keeping ahead of the supply, thus making it very easy for any grower to 

 select one of these methods and obtain good results without interfering materially 

 with the other methods.. In analyzing the methods, I wish to call your attention 

 to some of the defects. 



First, selling by grower to consumer, while it brings the grower the highest 

 price he can obtain for his fruit, as it allows him to get the middleman's profit 

 as well as his own, you must admit is not a fair proposition, for if you are to 

 depend upon the middlemen to distribute your products, it is not right to be his 

 competitor. If these methods continue, the jobber must have more of a chance 

 to distribute the product if he is to remain in the business. 



Second, selling to the jobber, or retailer, has as little against it as any of 

 the methods, as long as the growers delivered their fruit in an even amount and 

 did not crowd the market, allowing it to remain in a healthy condition, but this 

 year's results verify the idea that there is still a much better way of disposing 

 of the fruit. The same argument might be applied to shipping to any outside 

 market. The grower is always in the dark as to how much fruit is going through 

 that market and takes considerable risk by using these methods. 



Selling the fruit on the trees, while it relieves the grower of considerable 

 work and worry, allows the chance for big profits to be made by the speculator 

 which should go into the pockets of the growers. Of course, there is more risk 

 to the buyer in buying fruit in this way. Past experience has proven that it is 

 far from being an ideal form of marketing. 



After studying these methods from all angles and comparing them with 

 results obtained by growers of other products who have used other methods, it 

 is evident that there is a much better way of disposing of avocados. It is 

 absolutely necessary to place the industry on a stable basis. It is time that the 

 obsolete phrase in the by-laws of the association which state that one of its 

 objects is the marketing of avocados should be brought out and made a living 

 issue and I believe that this subject is the most important that can occupy the 

 minds of the growers at this time. 



The method which I would recommend to you is the co-operative form of 

 marketing, because it is undoubtedly the method which will be adopted in the 

 end if at first you do not do so. Again, it is a method which has been thor- 

 oughly tried and found most successful, especially by California growers of 

 the citrus products. This organization has blazed the trail to success in the 

 co-operative methods of marketing and is looked upon by everyone as being as 

 nearly an ideal as any organization can be in that respect. 



