Excerpt from the report Highlights: Many changes have taken place in the produce marketing system in the past quarter century. Direct buying by chains and other retail organizations has increased markedly. Many wholesalers have gone out of business, but many others have entered the field. Consumer-unit packaging has become an important element in wholesale and retail markets. To understand better the present organization of wholesale produce markets, as well as the changes which have taken place since the 1930's, the Economic Research Service studied 52 wholesale markets of all sizes and types throughout the country.