Grain Marketing

Report Introduction: The flow of grain through the marketing channels from the producer to the consumer has been continually changing over time. Increased grain supplies and changing demand for grain and grain products have been largely responsible for altering the marketing system. Many of the influencing factors have affected certain segments of food and feed grain marketing in different ways. The changes which grain marketing has undergone in recent years have resulted from several factors: larger farm production units, technological advances in harvesting grains, changes in marketing channels to increase efficiency, improved transportation methods, Government programs, and changing demands of grain consumers. Some of these changes took the form of mergers, consolidations, integrations and liquidations, or creation of new agencies. Technological advances in farming and farming methods brought about increases of 80 percent in farm output per man-hour between 1954 and 1964 and about 33 percent in total farm production, and a decrease of about 25 percent in the number of farms. These changes have brought about complementary changes in the marketing system.