Fruit and Vegetable Freezing Costs (Preliminary)

Excerpts: Ranking second only to weather, as a hazard in the life of a fruit and vegetable man, is the yearly uncertainty—cost of production. This is true for the processor as well as the grower. Costs depend on many variable factors. Therefore, it is impossible to make any positive assumptions. Yet the first question to consider in planning a new business venture is that of costs. It is important that the cooperative packer potentially interested in freezing fruits and vegetables as another outlet for his association’s products have at least some general knowledge of the costs involved and the factors affecting those costs. With a view to assisting those who contemplate quick-freezing of fruits and vegetables, the Cooperative Research and Service Division has assembled and analyzed cost information from such limited data as have been available to it in this field. In the following material consideration is given to costs as they pertain to certain types of freezing operations. It is recognized that each new freezing plant will be designed for a specific operation and will, therefore, have certain conditions and requirements of its own which will involve other cost items as well as different rates for similar items. It is intended here merely to supply the prospective freezer operator with general information on costs for typical operations.