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Abstract
Charges for marketing food products that originated on U.S. farms rose substantially more in 1970 than in any year during the 1960's. The spread between the retail cost and farm value of a market basket of farm foods rose 7 percent last year, compared with 1.9 percent for 1969 and 2.6 percent for 1968. Although marketing spreads for practically all products widened in 1970, major attention centered on pork and beef, which rose 20 percent and 9 percent, respectively. The marketing bill--total charges for transporting, processing, and distributing farm foods--totaled almost $69 billion in 1970, 8 percent greater than in 1969. This increase was almost double the average increase during the past decade, due chiefly to higher labor costs. Marketing charges accounted for two-thirds of the $102 billion spent by consumers for farm foods last year. The remaining third represented the payment or gross return that farmers received for farm food products.