AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION AND PRODUCE MARKETING IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

Growers and community leaders have expressed interest in establishing a horticultural shipping-point market in Southwest Virginia. This paper reports on a study that assessed whether horticultural production would be profitable in the region and, if so, the physical and organizational requirements for a successful shipping-point market. It appears that tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins can be produced and marketed profitably to large-volume wholesale buyers if growers meet the exacting requirements of the retailers. A cooperative association is the organizational structure with the greatest chance of success. At the conclusion of this study, a shipping-point market in the recommended form was established in Southwest Virginia.