Contract Production of Truck Crops, 12 Selected Areas, United States

Excerpts from the Introduction: Information on truck crop production reported in this study was obtained from nearly 2,500 vegetable growers in 12 selected areas by personal interview. This report is primarily concerned with the extent and nature of contracting and vertical integration in the production of truck crops. It is part of a larger study of the same sample of farms made in 1959 for the crop year 1958-59. The other parts of the overall study were concerned with an analysis of labor and material inputs used in the production of truck crops. As defined here, contracting and integration have the following meanings. Contracting refers to arrangements between independent firms for providing goods or services. Vertical integration means the joining in one firm of two or more stages of production. More specifically, contracting is between vegetable growers and processors or dealers; vertical integration occurs when a processor or dealer is also a grower