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- Will Growers Need their Own Trademarks to Entice Consumers?
If you are talking “trademarks” on varieties, who is to benefit other than the individual who developed the seed? Are future consumers going to buy a product by “trademarks”? If so, then is every grower in the United States going to have to provide their own individual trademark to entice consumer purchase of their product?
The Vegetable Growers News (September 2002) discusses the fact that the “Vidalia” onion is trademarked through the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The article indicates that the price paid is a premium compared to other onions. That is all good assuming the grower gets his fair and profitable share of the price. Under that premise, will every state have to trademark a particular item for the respective state in order to make the enterprise profitable? Sounds like a tough job for some states particularly those that don’t have suitable land resources for vegetables and sufficient state clientele who consider the vegetable business a high priority.
It seems to me that produce buyers should be willing to pay a grower a reasonable price above the production cost for the product, including the labor involved in handling the percentage of product that will not make marketable quality. This price should be set by the grower or suitable grower representative. After all, product prices of other businesses are primarily determined by the business themselves. In addition, it seems that if buyers would accept this potential and lock in a price through the season rather than playing the roller coaster game with supply and price, then both he and the grower could better assess their profitability on the item over time.
Thanks,
Al Rutledge
Superior Horticultural Consultants, Inc.
Knoxville, Tenn.
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