A study of livestock dealers in Tennessee

Significant changes have occurred in agricultural production inTennessee during the last two decades. The history of this period reveals that among the more important changes have been a decreasing interest In row-crop farming and greater interest and emphasis on a grassland-livestock economy. Also, during this time, farmers, livestock marketing agencies, and processors have become more interested in a better marketing system for livestock. Prior to the 1930’s, livestock production on most Tennessee farms was a major enterprise with emphasis on production for home use. Sales were mainly surpluses above home needs and were made with little attention to market considerations. The small volumes of livestock did not warrant the effort Involved In market selection. Even where commercial production developed, livestock was a secondary enterprise, in most cases, and only little interest was shown in ways of increasing income from livestock production. With the expansion of livestock numbers during the last decade, the need for increased attention to livestock marketing practices and facilities has been realized and has led to the development of a long range livestock marketing research program hy the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Stations and other Agricultural Experiment Stations of the South. Individual states are conducting their research programs, but are coordinating their efforts through a Southern Regional Technical Committee in cooperation with the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the United States Department of Agriculture. The present long range program as developed by the Southern Regional Committee is comprised of three broad objectives. These are to determine: (1) Existing livestock marketing practices and facilities. (2) Price-grade differentials paid for livestock livestock products. (3) Means of reducing cost and increasing the efficiency of marketing livestock. This study is concerned with (me phase of the objective relating to marketing practices and facilities and deals with the activities of dealers or traders at the livestock auction market