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Agricultural Economics Mimeo Report No. 58-7
COSTS OF PICKING AND HAULING
FLORIDA CITRUS FRUITS
1956-57 SEASON
by
A. H. Spurlock
Agricultural Economist
Cost per box
$0.40
.30
.20
.10
1951-52 1952-53 1953-54 1954-55
A A l
1955-56 1956-57
Average Cost of Picking and Hauling Florida Oranges,
1951-52 to 1956-57 Inclusive
A Study Conducted with Funds Provided by the /
Research and Marketing Act
Department of Agricultural Economics /
Florida Agricultural Experiment Stations -
Gainesville, Florida
February, 1958
COSTS OF PICKING AND HAULING FLORIDA
CITRUS FRUITS, 1956-57 SEASON
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction . .. . 1
Services Performed .. .... 2
Costs of Picking and Hauling, 1956-57 . 3
Capital Investment . . . 10
Variation in Cost Between Firms . 12
Comparison of 1956-57 with Prior Seasons 15
Introduction
This is the seventh annual summary of costs of picking and hauling citrus fruits,
prepared from a sample of citrus dealers and packers. Other handling and marketing costs
in the citrus industry are released in separate publications as indicated inside the back
cover. Costs of handling citrus fruits from the tree to the packing or processing plant for
the 1956-57 season are summarized for 34 firms by type of fruit. Services covered were:
(1) buying and selling, (2) picking, which included delivery to the roadside, and loading
in the truck, and (3) hauling from the grove to the plant. Eight of the firms furnishing
data were citrus dealers specializing in the procurement, sale and delivery of fruit to the
processing plant, and 26 were principally packers of fresh fruit or processors. Most of the
dealers also contracted with other operators to pick and haul some of their volume. Con-
tracting with other operators to pick and haul part or all of their volume also was common
1
COSTS OF PICKING AND HAULING FLORIDA
CITRUS FRUITS, 1956-57 SEASON
CONTENTS
Page
Introduction . .. . 1
Services Performed .. .... 2
Costs of Picking and Hauling, 1956-57 . 3
Capital Investment . . . 10
Variation in Cost Between Firms . 12
Comparison of 1956-57 with Prior Seasons 15
Introduction
This is the seventh annual summary of costs of picking and hauling citrus fruits,
prepared from a sample of citrus dealers and packers. Other handling and marketing costs
in the citrus industry are released in separate publications as indicated inside the back
cover. Costs of handling citrus fruits from the tree to the packing or processing plant for
the 1956-57 season are summarized for 34 firms by type of fruit. Services covered were:
(1) buying and selling, (2) picking, which included delivery to the roadside, and loading
in the truck, and (3) hauling from the grove to the plant. Eight of the firms furnishing
data were citrus dealers specializing in the procurement, sale and delivery of fruit to the
processing plant, and 26 were principally packers of fresh fruit or processors. Most of the
dealers also contracted with other operators to pick and haul some of their volume. Con-
tracting with other operators to pick and haul part or all of their volume also was common
1
among the fresh fruit packers and processors.
The location of the firms included was Polk County, 15; Orange County, 8;
Lake County, 5; Pinellas County, 2; and one each in Hillsborough, Pasco, Seminole
and Hernando Counties.
Total volume of fruit handled varied widely between firms. Only one firm had
less than 100,000 boxes, and 9 firms had more than 1,000,000 boxes each.
Services Performed
The total costs of operation were obtained from the records of the firms. An
attempt was made to divide the total costs of operation into the following services or
functions:
Buying and Selling.-- For specialized fruit dealers this is one of the services
performed in procuring and delivering fruit to the processing plant. Many different
types of arrangements are made with the grove owner as to the price of the fruit and
method of measurement. Dealers buy and sell fruit which they may pick and haul with
their own crews, or they may contract with other similar operators to pick and haul.
The costs of buying and selling fruit include salaries for management, office and buyers;
brokerage or commission; telephone and telegraph and auto and travel expense.
Picking.--This is the operation of getting the fruit off the tree and into the high-
way truck. The costs in this study represent the cost per box for the operator's own crews,
but not for contract crews. The principal costs of performing this service are labor, fuel,
repairs, licenses, insurance and depreciation for the grove trucks, crew trucks, loading
machines, and other picking equipment, and management and office salaries.
Hauling. -- This refers to hauling fruit from the roadside to the processor or fresh
fruit packinghouse. It does not include hauling in the grove to the roadside. It includes
hauling of packinghouse eliminations to the cannery, this being counted as a separate
haul. This is usually a somewhat less expensive haul than from grove to plant, according
to operators. One of the reasons for this is heavier loading of trucks. Most operators
state that hauling costs are about equal for oranges and grapefruit, but higher for tange-
rines because of the lighter loading required.
Costs of Picking and Hauling, 1956-57
The average costs per box for picking and hauling citrus fruit for the 1956-57
season from the grove to the processor or packinghouse are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
These costs are weighted averages; that is, the total money costs of all firms are divided
by the total number of boxes. Since two types of firms are represented, the costs for
each group are shown in a separate table. The distinction between citrus dealers and
packers in methods of operation is perhaps not as clear as it once was. Both groups
commonly pull oranges and grapefruit instead of clipping. Also, packinghouses often
pick some fruit,destined for canneries, by the bulk methods used by citrus dealers. A
few packers also use bulk handling methods for the fruit which is packed fresh.
The average cost of bu and selling citrus fruits for 1956-57 averaged 2.39
cents per box for eight dealers, varying from .76 cents to 6.21 cents per box (Table 1).
The average volume was 1,233,460 boxes. The principal items of cost for providing this
service were buyers' salaries and commissions, management costs, auto and travel expense
and telephone and telegraph.
Buying and selling unpacked fruit is not a normal function of fresh fruit packing-
houses and no cost is shown for them in Table 2. Some of the packers did have fruit
TABLE 1.--Average Cost Per Box for Picking and Hauling Citrus Fruit, 1956-57 Season.
Citrus Dealers Specializing in Buying and Selling, Picking and Hauling
Buying Picking All operations: Buying,
Item and Hauling selling,picking, hauling
selling Oranges Grape- Tange- Oranges Grape- Tange-
fruit rines fruit rines
Number of operators 8 7 8 7 2
Ave. volume (boxes) 1,283,460 1, 069, 400 682,869 201,993 28,436
Cost per box (cents)
Labor:
Field foremen 2.04 1.92 1.97 2.04 1.92 1.97
Pickers 18.16 11.44 50.73 18.16 11.44 50.73
Loaders 2.37 2.25 3.77 2.37 2.25 3.77
Grove drivers 1.28 1.41 1.24 1.28 1.41 1.24
Highway drivers 3.04 ... .. ... 3.04 3.04 3.04
Mechanics .01 .36 .10 .10 .68 .47 .47 1.05
Other labor .01 .08 .67 .48 .38 .76 .57 .47
Total .02 3.48 24.62 17.60 58.77 28.12 21.10 62.27
Workmen's comp.ins.,
payroll taxes a .10 .77 .53 2.26 .87 .63 2.36
Total labor .02 3.58 25.39 18.13 61.03 28.99 21.73 64.63
Other Costs:
Gasoline, oil,grease .03 1.67 .50 .43 1.20 2.20 2.13 2.90
Repairs .02 1.13 .51 .30 1.44 1.66 1.45 2.59
Licenses and taxes .01 .43 .09 .06 .24 .53 .50 .68
Depreciation .05 1.74 .63 .37 3.03 2.42 2,16 4.82
Insurance .01 .23 .07 .04 .16 .36 .33 .45
Interest .10 .11 .13 .11 .46 .34 .32 .67
Salaries-management .54 .66 .82 .41 4.84 2.02 1.61 6.04
office .21 .24 .29 .19 .95 .74 .64 1.40
buyers .14 ... ... ... .14 .14 .14
Brokerage and commission .49 ... ... ... ... .49 .49 .49
Supplies and shop expense ... .05 .18 .14 .56 .23 .19 .61
Ofc. supplies and expense .04 .05 .06 .03 .18 .15 .12 .27
Telephone and telegraph .25 .05 .05 .04 .13 .35 .34 .43
Lights, water, power .02 .03 .03 .02 .07 .08 .07 .12
Equipment rental .01 .40 .25 .21 .15 .66 .62 .56
Travel and auto .27 .07 .08 .06 .29 .42 .40 .63
Foreign labor expense ... .. .25 .15 ... .25 .15 ...
Miscellaneous expense .18 .16 .32 .25 .67 .66 .59 1.01
Total other costs 2.37 7.07' 4.26 2.81 14.37 13.70 12.25 23.81
Total Costs 2.39 10.65 29.65 20.94 75.40 42.69 33.98 88.44
aLess than .005 cents.
blncludes legal and audit, advertising, dues, donations and bad debts.
TABLE 2.--Average Costs per Box of Picking and Hauling Citrus Fruits, 1956-57 Season.
Fresh Fruit Packinghouses and Processors
Item Hauling Picking Total: Picking and Hauling
Item Haul ing -----2------------
Oranges Grape- Tange- Oranges Grape- Tange-
fruit rines fruit rines
Number of operators 22 22 22 22
Average volume (boxes) 856,709 630,650 228,455 49, 805
Costs per box (cents)
Labor:
Field Foreman ... 2.23 1.68 4.18 2.23 1.68 4.18
Pickers ... 18.33 13.03 51.22 18.33 13.03 51.22
Loaders ... 3.17 2.97 3.52 3.17 2.97 3.52
Grove drivers ... 1.60 1.17 3.41 1.60 1.17 3.41
Highway drivers 2.35 ... ... ... 2.35 2.35 2.35
Mechanics ,11 .05 .05 .04 .16 .16 .15
Other labor .07 .17 .20 .17 .24 .27 .24
Total 2.53 25.55 19.10 62.54 28.08 21.63 65.07
Workmen's comp.ins.,
payroll taxes .15 1.00 .84 2.32 1.15 .99 2.47
Total labor 2.68 26.55 19.94 64.86 29.23 22.62 67.54
Other Costs:
Gasoline,oil, grease 1.57 .64 .58 .62 2.21 2.15 2.19
Repairs 1.72 1.53 1.63 1.45 3.25 3.35 3.17
Licenses and taxes .39 .10 .06 .22 .49 .45 .61
Depreciation 1.37 1.09 .54 2.38 2.46 1.91 3.75
Insurance .21 .12 .08 .27 .33 .29 .48
Interest a a a a a a a
Salaries--management .34 .59 .39 1.17 .93 .73 1.51
office .14 .32 .22 .70 .46 .36 .84
Supplies--shop expense .03 .12 .13 .11 .15 .16 .14
Ofc. supplies and exp. .02 .02 .02 .04 .04 .04 .06
Telephone and telegraph .02 .06 .04 .15 .08 .06 .17
Equipment rental .06. .15 .08 .05 .21 .14 .11
Travel and auto expense .05 .25 .15 .63 .30 .20 .68
Foreign labor expense ... .40 .22 1.04 .40 .22 1.04
Miscellaneous expense .12 .10 .09 .23 .22 .21 .35
Total other costs 6.04 5.49 4.23 9.06 11.53 10.27 15.10
Total Costs 8.72 32.04 24.17 73.92 40.76 32.89 82.64
aLess than .005 cents.
bIncludes lights, water, legal and audit, advertising, dues and subscriptions, donations
and bad debts.
procurement costs, however.
Hauling costs for 7 citrus dealers with an average volume of 1,069,400 boxes were
10.65 cents per box for 1956-57. This is a composite cost for all kinds of fruit hauled
(Table 1). Twenty packinghouses operating their own trucks had on average cost of 8.72
cents per box (Table 2). The average volume for the packinghouses was 856, 709 boxes.
Hauling cost per box does not appear to be related to total volume hauled. It is perhaps
affected more by the volume per truck owned, and by average distance of haul, as well
as by the proportion of box fruit and tangerines hauled.
Picking costs as shown in Tables 1 and 2 include all amounts paid for direct labor
for picking and delivering to the roadside, grove truck expense and a portion of overhead
and management expenses. Picking labor was allocated to the various types of fruit from
payroll analyses and piece-rates insofar as possible. Fuel and repairs were prorated on a
box basis equally to all kinds of fruit. Certain overhead expenses, which tend to be
fixed, were distributed between the several types of fruit in the inverse ratio of the usual
number of boxes picked per day by a picker. The average of these estimates by operators
placed two-thirds as much overhead per box on grapefruit and twice as much on tangerines
as on oranges.
Total picking costs for 8 citrus dealers picking oranges averaged 29.65 cents per
box, and for 7 dealers averaged 20.94 cents for grapefruit (Table 1). Only two of these
operators picked tangerines with their own crews, and these picked only small quantities.
The average cost per box for picking tangerines was 75.40 cents. Labor, including work-
men's compensation insurance and payroll taxes, was the largest item of cost in picking
fruit, being approximately 86 percent of the total for oranges and grapefruit, and 81
percent for tangerines.
For 22 packinghouses which operated their own crews, total picking costs for
oranges were 32.04 cents per box, and for grapefruit 24.17 cents. Total picking costs
for tangerines averaged 73.92 cents per box. As with the citrus dealers, the principal
items of picking costs of the fresh fruit packinghouses were labor, gas and oil, repairs,
licenses, insurance and depreciation. These items were usually complete in the records
of the packinghouses, but some of the smaller overhead items were not complete. Fre-
quently such items as telephone, office expense, lights and water, interest, management
and office salaries were charged entirely to the packing operation and none allocated to
picking and hauling.
The last three columns of Table 1 show the combined average costs for citrus
dealers for the complete operation of moving fruit from the tree to the cannery, which
includes buying and selling, picking and hauling. This is obtained by adding together
the costs allocated to the separate services. Oranges cost 42.69 cents per box, grape-
fruit 33.95 cents and tangerines 88.44 cents from tree to cannery.
For fresh fruit packinghouses, the last section of Table 2 shows the combined costs
of picking and hauling each type of fruit for 1956-57. Since packinghouses do not
normally have buying and selling costs for unpacked fruit this section of Table 2 is not
entirely comparable with the last section of Table 1.
Many citrus firms, both dealers and packers, contract with other operators to pick
and haul, or both. Contract picking and hauling was separated from the firm's own crews.
Rates or amounts paid contractors are not shown in Tables 1 or 2 because of the difficulty
of determining the exact service performed and the kind of fruit. Contracted picking
for 1956-57 cost 27.2 cents per box, and contracted hauling averaged 10.84 cents, but
the kind of fruit is unknown.
Most of the items of cost are self-explanatory, but a few comments may serve to
clarify some classifications.
Labor cost is the amount paid by operators to their own crews for the service
indicated. Field Foremen were sometimes paid a weekly salary, and sometimes a per-
box rate. Pickers were paid a piece-rate per box, varying with the kind of fruit and the
difficulty of picking. Most operators paid about 11-13 cents per box for picking grape-
fruit, 45-55 cents for tangerines, and around 17 cents per box for budded oranges. The
rate for picking seedling oranges was 20 to 35 cents per box. Any condition which made
picking more difficult usually required a higher picking rate. Loaders transfer the boxes
of picked fruit from the ground to the grove truck. The boxes may be set on the truck
floor, or poured into the truck body, depending upon the disposition intended for the
fruit. Loaders were paid a piece-rate per box--usually 2-1/2 to 4 cents per box.
Several different methods of handling fruit in the grove were in use. Some firms
used a tractor and 10-box containers to load the fruit directly into the highway truck, and
some operators used a tractor and 25-box carts instead of grove trucks. These innovations
eliminate the loaders and make the average rates shown for loading less per box than
they would have been had all used the hand loading method.
Grove drivers were usually paid on an hourly basis. In a few cases the foreman
drove the grove truck. Highway drivers were paid a weekly wage in most cases, but
sometimes a per-box rate. Their function was to drive the large trucks from the roadside
to the citrus packing or processing plant. Mechanics or shop employees were used by
some operators to keep trucks and other equipment in repair.
Other labor includes workers such as testers, cooks, watchmen, yard and scale-
house labor, and crew truck drivers.
Workmen's compensation insurance and payroll taxes were added to the amounts
paid workers to determine the total direct labor costs.
Gasoline, oil and grease cost was the amount consumed by grove and crew trucks,
loading machines, highway trucks and in some cases by buyer's cars.
Repairs covered all automotive equipment and loading machines, buildings, and
in addition field box and ladder repair and replacement.
Licenses and taxes were principally the truck and auto licenses, but also included
business bonds or licenses and taxes on any property used in the business.
Depreciation is the allowance to cover the estimated wear and tear on the physical
assets used in the business. The total amount of depreciation was calculated by the firm's
accountants in most cases.
Interest is the amount paid for the use of borrowed capital. No charge for use of
the owner's capital is included in Tables 1 ar 2.
Salaries were paid to management, office employees, and fruit buyers where
employed by the firm. Some of the citrus dealers were partnerships and individual pro-
prietorships and had no paid management--this function being performed by the entrepre-
neurs. In these cases the owner was asked to estimate the value of his labor and manage-
ment. If only the paid management costs had been included the per-box costs of manage-
ment for dealers (Table 1) would have been less. However, this procedure would have
left some citrus dealers with no management expense, as compared with other firms where
management was fully paid. All management salaries shown for packinghouses were
actually paid, though some of such firms did riot allocate any of their management or
office salaries to picking and hauling operations.
Brokerage or commission was sometimes paid on the sale of, or procurement of,
fruit by other buyers.
Supplies and shop expense include picker's tickets, and various supplies and shop
tools and materials not easily classified with some other expense.
Office supplies and expense include stationery, postage, bank charges, depre-
ciation and insurance on office equipment.
Telephone and telegraph was used principally in buying and selling of fruit, but
a portion was allocated to picking and hauling also.
Lights, water and power expense included the office consumption and sometimes
power for graders or fruit elevators.
A few firms rented equipment of various kinds for a part of their operations.
Travel and auto expense was incurred mainly in the buying and selling of fruit,
but also some in supervising the picking crews and fruit hauling. Some firms paid a mileage
rate for autos used, while some owned the cars and supplied fuel, repairs, etc.
Miscellaneous expense included a great many items, some of which were sizeable
sums for a few firms but averaged small amounts for all. This group Is made up of adver-
tising, public relations expense, dues, subscription, donations, driver's expense accounts,
business bad debts, legal and audit and many unclassified items of expense.
Capital investment
Capital invested in the various physical assets required to pick and haul citrus
fruit by 22 firms is shown in Table 3. The firms included 7 citrus dealers and 15 fresh
fruit packers.
Total book value of investment per firm averaged $65,677 or $85 per 1,000 boxes
TABLE 3.--Average Capital Invested in Citrus Picking and Hauling Equipment, 22 Firms,
1956-57a
Average per firm Average per 1,q00 Percent of
Class boxes handled0 total
Cost Book Cost Book Cost Book
value vclue value
Land and buildings $ 14,401 $10,414 $ 17.26 $12.48 10.6 15.8
Autos, trucks, trailers 98,051 37,363 131.37 50.06 71.9 56.9
Boxes, ladders, field equip. 21,135 16,406 26.15 20.30 15.5 25.0
Office equipment 2,744 1,494 3.91 2.13 2.0 2.3
Total $136,331 $65,677 $178.69 $84.97 100.0 100.0
aValue of some assets not always completely obtained. Land and buildings and office
equipment were frequently included in packinghouse assets for fresh fruit packers. Boxes and
ladders were often not carried on the books as an asset.
bLargest volume handled, either picking or hauling. Average volume per firm
746,357 boxes.
handled. Of this 15.8 percent was in land and buildings, 56.9 percent in automotive
equipment, 25.0 percent in boxes, ladders, loaders and other miscellaneous equipment,
and 2.3 percent was in office furniture and equipment. The original cost of the total
investment averaged $136,331 per firm and was about 52 percent depreciated. On the
basis of book value, the total investment per 1,000 boxes was slightly higher for the packers
than for dealers. The packers had more investment in each class of asset except office
equipment. However, their records often did not separate land and buildings or office
furniture from the packinghouse assets, and the averages for these classes were determined
from the firms having separations.
None of the costs in Table 1 and 2 includes interest on capital invested in picking
and hauling equipment. Interest paid by the firms for the use of borrowed capital is
included. If interest at 5 percent were included on the book value of the operator's
capital it would amount to .44 cents per box picked and hauled for the 22 firms from
whom capital investment was obtained.
Variation in Cost Between Firms
Total cost varied rather widely between firms for providing the same service. These
variations in total costs for picking and hauling,1956-57, are shown in Tables 4, 5, and 6
for citrus dealers and packinghouses combined. Not enough is known about the individual
firms' operations to provide much information about reasons for costs being high or low.
The data do not show any consistent relationship between volume of fruit handled and level of
costs. Costs at first seem to decrease with increasing volume but then tend to stabilize or
even increase again. In each volume group there is a wide range of costs for both picking
fruit and for haul ing, indicating the influence of fietors other than volume. For hauling,
the average distance hauled and the idle capacity of the equipment owned doubtless affect
the overall season hauling cost per box. For picking, costs cannot decrease beyond a
certain point because of the large proportion of labor costs, some of which are piece
rates and do not fluctuate with volume picked. Firms with very low volumes--too low
to efficiently utilize one crew--had very high picking costs. Picking costs in some of the
largest operations also were higher than average.
Management decisions probably affect citrus picking and hauling costs to a con-
siderable extent. The operation of picking and hauling fruit is only one segment of the
total business operation, whether the firm be a citrus dealer, packinghouse, or processor.
Obtaining a large and continuous volume of fruit may have advantages to the firm that
outweigh the advantage of merely achieving low cost in the picking and hauling operation.
Total picking costs for 8 citrus dealers and 22 packinghouses varied from 26.3 cents
to 43.7 cents per box for oranges, and from 18.8.cents to 31.2 cents per box for grapefruit.
The range in cost for picking tangerines was from 60.6 cents to 88.0 cents per box
for 24 firms (Table 4).
Hauling costs for 7 citrus dealers and 22 packinghouses varied from 6.6 cents to
13.0 cents per box (Table 5).
TABLE 4.--Variation in Total Cost Per Box for 30 Firms for Picking Oranges and 29 Firms
Picking Grapefruit and 24 Firms Picking Tangerines, 1956-57 Season, Citrus Dealers and
Packers
Cost per box
(cents)
18- 20.9
21 -23.9
24 26.9
27 29.9
30 32.9
33 -35.9
36-38.9
39 -41.9
42 44.9
60 64.9
65 -69.9
70 74.9
75 -79.9
80 84.9
85 -89.9
Total number of firms
Average Cost Per Box (cents)
Ranges in Costs (cents)
Oranges Grapefruit Tangerines
Number of firms
7
10
7
3
2
30
31.4
26.3 -43.7
29
23.5
18.8-31.2
24
74.0
60.6 88.0
- --
"
- -- 1 I-
TABLE 5.--Variation in Total Costs Per Box for Hauling Citrus
Fruit from Grove to Cannery, 29 Firms, 1956-57 Season.
Citrus Dealers and Packers
Cost per box
Number of firms
(cents) Number
6- 7.9 9
8- 9.9 8
10- 11.9 8
12- 13.9 4
Average Cost Per Box (cents) 9.3
Range in Costs (cents) 6.6 13.0
TABLE 6.--Variation in Total
Cost Per Box for Picking and
Citrus Dealers and Packers
Hauling Citrus, 1956-57 Seasona
Cost per box Oranges Grapefruit Tangerines
(cents) Number of firms
25 29.9 6
30 -34.9 1 10
35-39.9 14 6
40 -44.9 6 2
45-49.9 2
50 54.9 1
55-59.9 1
65-69.9 1
70- 74.9 2
75 79.9 3
80-84.9 4
85 89.9 6
90 -94.9 2
95 and over 1
Total number of firms 25 24 19
Average Cost Per Box (cents) 40.6 32.7 83.2
Range in Costs (cents) 33.7 -56.3 26.3 -43.8 68.0 100.0
Citrus dealers had an additional cost of buying and selling fruit averaging 2.4 cents
per box which is not included above.
For picking and hauling combined (but excluding buying and selling), costs for
25 firms, both dealers and packers, ranged from 33.7 cents to 56.3 cents per box for
oranges and averaged 40.6 cents. The modal group of 13 firms had costs between 37.3
cents and 44.2 cents for oranges. Picking and hauling costs for grapefruit for 24 firms
varied from 26.3 cents to 43.8 cents per box, averaging 32.7 cents. The modal group of
12 firms had costs between 30.1 cents and 35.8 cents per box. Picking and hauling tange-
rines varied from 68.0 cents to $1.00 per box, and averaged 83.2 cents for 19 firms. Nine
of these firms had costs between 79.7 cents and 87.6 cents per box.
Comparison of 1956-57 Costs with Previous Seasons
Total picking costs for 1956-57 were higher for all firms as a group than the averages
of preceding seasons (Table 7). Operating costs for the citrus dealers were slightly lower
for all services performed except picking tangerines, Costs for fresh fruit packers were
higher for picking fruit in 1956-57. The fluctuation in total costs each season has been
wider for tangerines than for oranges and grapefruit. Very few of the citrus dealers picked
tangerines with their own crews, and packinghouse crews picked them in much smaller
volume than other citrus.
Hauling costs were slightly lower for both groups of firms in 1956-57 than in the
preceding year.
Most of the season-to-season variation in cost for each service is due to firms
included. These have not remained identical each year, and as previously pointed out,
costs vary widely between firms.
TABLE 7.--Total Costs Per Box for Buying and Selling, Picking and Hauling Citrus Fruits, Seven
Seasons
No. Buying Picking All operations: Buying,selling,
No. Buying Pickingnd hauling
Season of and Hauling picking and hauling
firms selling Oranges Grape- Tange- Oranges Grape- Tange-
fruit rines fruit rines
- - - - cents per box - - -
Citrus Dealers
1950-51 9 3.84 10.31 28.36 18.62 56.93 42,51 32.77 71.08
1951-52 15 3.37 10.19 28.33 20.41 53.06 41.89 33.97 66.62
1952-53 11 3.02 9.63 27.82 21.12 50.07 40.47 33.77 62.72
1953-54 13 2.74 9.50 29.83 19.73 62.14 42.07 31.97 74.38
1954-55 11 2.36 8.47 28.89 19.58 63.25 39.72 30.41 74.08
1955-56 10 2.71 11.04 30.46 21.69 69.34 44.21 35.44 83.09
1956-57 8 2.39 10.65 29.65 20.94 75.40 42.69 33.98 88.44
Fresh Fruit Packers and Processors
1951-52 11 a 9.24 28.53 19.23 62.59 37.770 28.470 71.830
1952-53 18 a 9.75 29.77 22.24 59.78 39.520 31.990 69.530
1953-54 24 a 9.67 28.41 20.70 60,81 38.08a 30.370 70.480
1954-55 24 a 9.84 28.94 21.12 64.78 38.78a 30.960 74.62a
1955-56 26 a 8.82 30.53 21.74 66.33 39.35a 30.560 75.15a
1956-57 26 a 8.72 32.04 24.17 73.92 40.760 32.89a 82.640
Total all Firms
1951-52 26 3.37b 9.81 28.42 19.51 61.93 41.60 32.69 75.11
1952-53 29 3.02b 9.71 29.12 21.98 59.62 41.85 34.71 72.35
1953-54 37 2.74b 9.61 28.87 20.58 60.86 41.22 32.93 73.21
1954-55 36 2.36b 9.38 28.93 20.91 64.72 40.67 32.65 76.46
1955-56 36 2.71b 9.47 30.52 21.73 66.39 42.70 33.91 78.57
1956-57 34 2.39b 9.27 31.36 23.46 73.96 43.02 35.12 85.62
aThe cost of buying and selling unpacked fruit is not incurred by fresh packers and is not
included in the total of all operations. Thus, their total costs are not comparable with citrus
dealers.
bAverage cost for citrus dealers.
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