Farmers As Their Own Salesman

1955

Marketing: The Yearbook of Agriculture, 1954

pp. 22-28

National Agricultural Library

The sale of products off the farm is the first step in marketing. The farmer has a choice of several outlets for his goods. If he sells directly to consumers he may get a good price for his products but he must expend much extra time and effort in selling and he must operate his farm so as to maintain a fairly consistent supply. A variety of local intermediaries will buy the farmer's goods and perform important services for him, such as assembly, storage, and transportation. The farmer must decide if the services are worth the price. A producer of a perishable or bulky product may want to sell directly to a local processor. He must pro- duce the quantity and quality of goods the processor wants and deliver them—and therefore plant and harvest them—at the time the processor specifies. A producer of livestock, say,, may sell directly to a terminal market. He must transport and protect the goods on their way to the market and assume the risks and costs involved. Here we introduce the factors the farmer must consider in making his choice.