APPLE PACKING COSTS IN WASHINGTON,

We have assembled data on the main in-plant sources of costs in selected Washington fresh apple packing houses. Overhead costs per packed box for buildings, equipment, and management rise dramatically as utilization of current plant capacity drops off. For the plants studied, such costs in 1970-71 at maximum capacity would have been 85.1 ¢ per packed box; at 80o/0 of maximum capacity, 106.5¢; at 60o/o of maximum capacity, 142.2¢; and so on at an increasing rate for each subsequent 1o/0 fall in rate of utilization. A related factor is the extent of utilization within a season of packing line facilities. On average, the plants in our sample packed their 1969-70 pack in 91 8-hour shifts. They could have packed all of their current storage capacity in 109 8-hour shifts. One house ran 144 8-hou