Imporove forms of marketing of fruit and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are generally more difficult to market produce. There are no market Ready for daily or weekly grain and livestock in almost all areas of the United States. There are few similar markets for fruits and vegetables. Most products are produced in abundance and long-standing market channels may be closed to small scale or new producers.
A producer may need several years to establish a marketing program. The number of shoppers has fallen rapidly in recent years. A major supermarket chain has plans nationally to consolidate the number of stations to purchase eight products in the United States. A farmer is unlikely to sell to a local store of a chain of supermarkets purchases are made through a central warehouse. As the number of buyers has decreased, the number of producers has decreased, but their size has increased considerably. There is often a delay of four to six months after shipping to receive payment in the wholesale market system in the sale through an intermediary. This often presents a cash flow problem for many producers. Wholesale buyers have strict product quality and specific grade, and packaging requirements. These purchasing practices and price squeezes have eliminated market availability to many producers.
The future is more promising for producers large scale or small-scale producers to mid-sized producers. The large-scale producer can afford the large equipment needed for production and the use of migrant labor. A small producers can use smaller equipment, often manual, and the family or local labor to replace other equipment. Large producers are linked through brokers supply produce relatively more than one season or all year long and is difficult for small producers to supply the quantity and quality required for a long period. Both types of producers can be a great success or it may go bankrupt as the production and marketing practices are highly volatile. A mid-size less efficient producers, and often can not economically justify the purchase of equipment necessary or replacement for the team.
The small farmer needs to seek local marketing channels. There are opportunities, but a producer must work to find them. Direct to consumer markets bring higher prices for the producer, but also take longer to producers in marketing. A diverse group of crops is ideal, as market demand changes rapidly. A commodity may sell well and that high prices for a long period, but demand and prices may drop dramatically overnight. Supply and demand has a tremendous impact on the marketing and pricing of products.
No There are federal price support for fruit and vegetables to help the producer when the market demand or prices fall. Pick-your-own is a popular practice for some years. The Society has changed and many people have no time for harvest. Most consumers prefer to buy products that are harvested, and development of a popular trend is to prepare the product for market that is ready to eat as close as possible. Precut salads and green beans are good examples of this practice. Shelf life of products Pre-cut is relatively short, and cooling is essential.
There are opportunities for small farmers in the farm markets, agricultural markets organized locally owned supermarkets, and locally owned fruit and vegetable markets. When selling to any market, especially to local supermarkets and fruit markets and vegetables, good communication between the producer and buyer is essential. The producer must know what, when, and how much the buyer can use. The buyer must know what is available and when, as he has to keep the shelves stocked. Determining a fair price can be difficult. The daily market prices are available online. County Extension personnel can access this information for producers. Retailers generally double the price paid on account contraction and deterioration.
Crop and variety selection are critical factors in marketing. Buyers are indifferent to the origin of most crops. Locally produced is preferred over other crops, mainly due to the difference in quality (flavor). Preferences for local fruit crops vegetables are clear for sweet corn, tomatoes, strawberries and peaches. These products are harvested either for sending high quality before it is reached, or they quickly lose quality during postharvest handling and transportation.
Different varieties may be used in shipping markets compared to local markets. The shipping market sweet corn varieties used mostly supersweet type. Local markets may use supersweet type varieties, but generally prefer SE or SU type varieties. Some crops or varieties are preferred in specific locations, and a ready local market may exist for a specific item not widely available.
A local Crossville, Tennessee, market owner recently shared a list of articles that had difficulties in obtaining, and needed during the summer season. His list includes Half Runner, McCaslan, Caseknife and Greasy beans, pickling cucumbers from 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter, fresh corn great-tasting sweet (yellow, white and bicolor), Red Cayanne pepper, color pepper, Kennebec and Yukon Gold Potatoes, watermelons (seedy and seedless) strawberries, greenhouse tomatoes (fall, winter and spring), and great local flavor to tomatoes in the summer season. He had an idea for a tomato festival that does not include tomato varieties routinely in the regular market channels. This would include Rutgers, Celebrity, cherry, beefsteak, pink, yellow, yellow and red varieties in the form striped, and pear. Many of these varieties are less productive and have production problems, but have excellent flavor compared to standard commercial varieties hybrid. There is a marketing opportunity through this market in Crossville, and similar situations probably exist in most places in the States USA. The producer has to look for opportunities in that market.
The budgets and profitability of crops is another factor of production.
Tomatoes have always been the most profitable crop for producers in Tennessee. Greenhouse production is completely different, but it is a fast-growing company in Tennessee. Sweet corn can be profitable, especially if a high plant population is used to provide high yields. We are planting twice the population (23,500 plants / A) that was planted several years ago, and being evaluated for distances greater than the population. Budgets that detail the production costs and opportunities benefits are available for most crops, or the producer to develop its own budget.
Fruit production does not fit well to smallholder farming. The time between planting a tree and the economic gains first harvest is relatively long. Large team is necessary to apply pesticides 10 to 12 times per year from sprouting first. Many pesticides are restricted use and require special handling procedures. Trees need be pruned at planting and every year in late winter.
Grapes offer some opportunities, but strawberries and blueberries are small fruit that offer more opportunities for small scale producers. Large fruit is required for the successful marketing of strawberries and blueberries. Drip irrigation is needed in most areas for setting up and crop production. Overhead sprinkler irrigation is often necessary for frost protection. The strawberry production systems mate row are changing to annual production. The culture of each system is completely different.
Harvest fruit and vegetable crops in the proper maturity is essential. Many crops have a very narrow window of harvest, and proper maturity is needed to ensure a marketable product. The crops that producers tend to harvest early are corn and sweet pepper. Sweet corn is not fully mature has less flavor, and little usable grain. Pepper immature pods wilt rapidly and are not attractive. Crops can easily be harvested too late are sweet corn, peppers and green beans. Peppers can be harvested with some color swatch. Most markets want a green pepper or colored, and not part color pods. Sweet corn and green beans become tough rapidly is allowed to be too mature. The Tomatoes are best harvested in the pink stage and harvesting twice a week may be needed for proper maturity. Tasteless pink tomatoes. Fruit rots, cracks and bruises may be less when the crop is in the pink stage.
Improvement of the production is a critical factor in marketing. The containers must protect the product and be attractive. Standard packages vary by product type and market demand, but many buyers require the use of containers standard size. Some routine container sizes are half bushels, bushels, 1 + 1 / 9 bushel, standard sweet corn boxes to hold 4 1 / 2 dozen ears, and pints or quarts for berries. Many different types of materials used in containers. Waxed cardboard boxes are widely used. Bean and buyers sweet corn often prefer wire bound wooden boxes. Melons are often sold in bulk in cardboard boxes containing about 250 melons. Many markets may require specific charges and product size. for the container.
The peppers and tomatoes are specific crops sold by uniform size. Peppers are usually in cash and extra large (40 to 50-pods / 1 + 1 / 9 bushel) to small (70 to 80 pods / 1 + 1 / 9 bu box). This size relatively even allows the retailer to sell pepper pods by count. Prepackaged in small consumer packages such as 3 potatoes or tomatoes is becoming more than one demand at the producer level. Local markets may have packaging requirements, more or less strict.
Product identification can be a useful marketing tool. Some areas, or producers have developed a name for your product. Some examples are Vidalia onions, Granger County, tomatoes, apples Washington, and Idaho potatoes. Identification of the product may work well for anyone with stress and maintain quality. You must pay in repeat sales and prices received by producers. We are considering this approach in Tennessee for Tri-X-Shadow seedless watermelon that is of exceptional quality. An identification label can be attributed to each of melon identifying quoting (perhaps seeded Tennessee).
Harvested fruits and vegetables are perishable, and the loss quality starts immediately after harvest. The rapid commercialization to ensure freshness is a desirable feature locally grown products. Produce, not sold immediately, should be stored properly to maintain the appearance, taste and quality. Time of collection, cooling and storage areas Shaded help preserve quality. Products harvested early in the morning is cooler than if harvest is later in the day.
Quality products such as green beans, sweet corn, peppers, peaches and benefit from cooling. Products should be kept chilled in a refrigerator to keep the temperature appropriate storage after cooling. Products such as broccoli and sweet corn from storage benefit in the pack ice or ice to keep temperatures low and to prevent drying of the products. Production that has cooled should be kept cold.
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