Canterbury M.A.F. marketing study

Press, 23 September 1983, Page 22

Canterbury M.A.F. marketing study

The growing role of market development in the agricultural sector is under investigation by a study group in Canterbury. Advisory officers and specialists with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries have begun a survey of export production in Canterbury to see how the M.A.F. can assist in the development of markets and industry infrastructures. Mr Don Crump, a farm advisor from Waimate, said this group was set up as a pilot study.

“It is likely that a lot of the things we find will apply to other parts of New Zealand as well,” he said. "Each of the members of the group is looking at a different area of production. These include meat, wool, skins, dairy products, seeds, horticultural produce, honey and others.”

For each product the following areas are covered: • The quantity and value of the product being produced and exported. • The firms involved. • Problems and opportunities for expansion. • The definition of an adequate marketing structure.

@ Possible levels of export production in the next decade.

In the long term, the export promotion group sees a system developing within the M.A.F. which will pull together information from a large number of sources in marketing and make it available to the industry. “I believe that we have a lot of this information al-

ready available,” said Mr Crump. “For example, information sent back from trade missions and embassies, information compiled by our economics division and those divisions directly involved in processing, such as meat and dairy. This needs to be co-ordinated, which means better communication between divisions and between the M.A.F. and industry is needed.”

According to Mr Crump, most government agricultural agencies throughout the world are involved in the marketing of products. “They follow the progress of the product right from the farm to the consumer,” “For example, the United States Department of Agriculture has a strong team in London marketing their products.”

So far the reaction from New Zealand marketing agencies to the study group has been favourable. “Generally they have welcomed our participation,” said Mr Crump. “Although some of the more conservative sectors may have a problem accepting that M.A.F. has a role in marketing.”

Mr Crump emphasised that it was not the M.A.F.’s role to actually do the marketing, but to - act as a trouble shooter, pointing out likely trouble spots and looking for solutions and opportunities for expansion.

“This has been our role in production,” he said. “We don’t actually do the farming, but point out where the problems and opportunities are.”