The Organization of the Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market in Boston

Excerpts from the report: The Boston wholesale fruit and vegetable market is the fifth largest in the Nation. It provides fresh fruits and vegetables for a metropolitan area of over 3 million people plus a substantial portion of the population of northern New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Boston wholesalers and chainstores sold 73,400 carlots of fruits and vegetables in 1958, excluding resales among themselves. This report describes the organization and operation of the Boston wholesale fruit and vegetable market, the buying, selling, and operating practices of the wholesalers in the market, and the changes which have taken place during the past 30 years. It is a part of a nationwide study of the organization and operations of wholesale fruit and vegetable markets made by the Marketing Economics Division of the Economic Research Service to describe and appraise the current status of wholesale markets and the changes which have taken place in them. This study should provide firms in the wholesale markets, shipping point marketing firms, farmers, and interested citizens and public agencies with a better understanding of the forces at work in the marketing system for fresh fruits and vegetables. It will furnish a basis for making better decisions in adjusting to the changes which are taking place throughout the structure of marketing.