Costs of Marketing Appalachian Apples

Excerpts from the report: The Appalachian apple producing area consists of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, but the production is concentrated in an area between Winchester, Va., and Chambersburg, Pa. Appalachian apple growers are interested in finding the most efficient methods and equipment in order to improve their competitive position in packing apples for the fresh market. This report presents the simple average costs of seven of the larger producers marketing apples with methods and types of equipment representative of the area. The sample of packinghouses upon which this report is based was selected from a survey of 36 of the larger plants in the Appalachian area. Seven packinghouses were chosen to represent a cross section of the principal systems and methods of packing apples. Each of the seven plants packed a minimum of approximately 50,000 bushels of apples for fresh market each year. The plants selected provide a variety of conditions under which to compare costs. The types of containers packed and the methods and equipment used are representative of most types now in use in the Appalachian area