Improving Cooperative Marketing of Mississippi Delta Soybeans

Excerpts from the Preface: The primary objective of this study is to provide guidelines to cooperative leaders in the Mississippi Delta area for building an improved cooperative marketing system for soybeans, with emphasis on the volume that moves into export channels. Such guidelines should consist of an evaluation of the cooperative marketing system in the Mississippi Delta as it currently operates, elevator and transportation cost relationships, prospective trends influencing soybean marketing, and alternative programs for action by cooperatives. The components of an improved cooperative soybean marketing system include soybean procurement, transportation, construction and financing of elevator facilities, storage and merchandising practices, commitment, organization, and coordination among cooperatives. The area to be studied as requested by the cooperatives consists principally of soybean producing areas with cooperatives that supply soybeans for export and use the Mississippi River for transportation. The study area selected is contiguous to the Mississippi River, and extends from the northwest edge of Mississippi to Port Allen, La. The reason for selecting that particular area was so that the study would include mainly local cooperatives that appeared to have common economic and marketing interests for the export of soybeans via the Mississippi River.