Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

1960

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Economics

Abstract

South Dakota farmers, in 1959, received 8.7 cents per dozen less for their eggs than the national average of 31.3 cents per dozen. This difference represented a loss of $10.9 million to South Dakota producers that year. A number of cooperative associations have expressed an interest in developing more efficient egg marketing systems. Improved cooperative marketing would create increased bargaining power and higher net returns for many producers. Cooperatives have played an important function in South Dakota egg marketing for many years. Egg marketing cooperatives handled over 20 per cent of total egg sales in South Dakota in 1957. Mortenson regards structural changes in the egg industry as a serious challenge to cooperative egg marketing. Objectives of this study were (1) to determine the least-cost location of a single cooperative egg marketing federation to serve 25 eff handling cooperative associations in Eastern South Dakota; (2) To determine the least-cost locations of two area cooperative egg marketing federation plants to serve these 25 cooperative associations; and, (3) to determine whether a single plant or two plants would better serve the 25 cooperative associations. Egg receipts data of 25 cooperative egg marketing associations which were interested in, or not opposed to, federating were used in this study. Graphic analysis was used to determine the changes of centers due to addition of new, assumed cooperative associations. Tentative sites for federation plants, based on proximity to egg assembly centers, size of community and location of a local cooperative egg assembly centers, size of community and location of a local cooperative egg marketing association were determined. Cumulative distance and density estimates, indicating proximity of the sites to the center of the assembly area, were used to determine a final set of sites for cost analysis. The estimated cost of procurement and production, believed to differ by location, and other locational elements, as presented in locational economics theory, were used to compare alternative federation sites.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Eggs -- South Dakota -- Copperative marketing
Egg trade -- South Dakota
Cooperative marketing of farm produce

Description

Includes bibliographical references

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

78

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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