The idea of centralized marketing in agrtculture has 'Usually meant that products moved from the farms. to the market facilities in a few large cities, Here in the so-called "terminal" market title and physical possession would · pass from the farmer to wholesalers and processors. Aiding in this process was the host of-middlemen, brokers, ,jobbers, receivers, commission men, wholesalers, etc ... and the many facilitating organizations.such as auction companies, stockyards, boards of trade and other organtza.tions operating the necessary display and warehousing apace. Over the past several years increasing amounts of agricultural products have been moving from the farms to processors and wholesalers without utilizing the services of the terminal personnel and facilities. Or to phrase it more accurately, ma.rketing has become more decentralized. This 1;.endency to by ... pass termina.J.. facilities will be discussed under three ma.jor headings : ( 1) The extent of the decentral:tzation, ( 2) why such a trend has developed, and (3) current and future problems due to decentralization,