Ag Export Countries
By SUSAN D. BROWN
Planning and Evaluation,
Foreign Market Development
Foreign Agricultural Service
Today’s strong demand for agricul
tural products has yet to cause com
placency among U.S. competitors, who
are spending more than ever on pro
moting their farm products in export
markets.
From $63 million in fiscal 1966,
market development expenditures by
the other major agricultural exporters >
rose to over $135 million in fiscal 1973.
Much of the increase in spending came
in 1973, and current reports indicate yet
another jump for fiscal 1974. U.S. com
petitors arc convinced that export mar
ket development is a long-term respon
sibility, not to be influenced by short
term supply and price variations.
Canada. The largest increase—ll 3
percent from I972—in market develop
ment spending has come from this coun
try, which has emphasized export growth
by initiating a new Federal market de
velopment program in 1973. That pro
gram was designed to give financial
incentives and assistance to projects
originating in the private sector for
products other than grains and oilseeds.
In the past, grains and oilseeds—
because of their prime importance to
Canadian export trade—have received
the greatest share of Canadian market
development funds. But because the
commodities are bulk items not bought
directly by consumers, activities em
ployed most often have been team trips,
utilization courses, and other trade-
1 Includes expenditures by Canada, Aus
tralia, France, (he Netherlands, Denmark.
Israel, New Zealand, and South Africa.
oriented efforts.
Among the team trips last year was
one by Japanese livestock specialists,
who spent 2 weeks in Canads assessing
the dairy cattle, beef cattle, swine, and
meat packing industries. Educational
efforts have included sponsorship of the
Canadian International Grains Institute,
which conducts highly technical training
courses for grains and oilseeds, as well
as public relations programs directed at
current and prospective wheat buyers
from all over the world.
In addition, the Rapeseed Association
of Canada concentrates heavily on the
development of markets for rapeseed
meal. In 1973, it published a bulletin
dealing with the feeding of rapeseed
meal to livestock and poultry, plus a
film on the subject. Both were prepared
in French, German, Italian, Spanish,
Japanese, and English and distributed
in the appropriate countries.
Australia. Recognizing the importance
of agricultural exports to its economy,
the Australian Government has for
some time been involved in export
market development. These efforts have
accelerated over the years and are ex
pected to continue to do so—despite
the country’s near-record foreign ex
change reserves this year.
One recent move was enactment of a
new exports incentive scheme—replac
ing a previous one that expired in June
—to be effective for 5 years beginning
July 1, 1974. The program consists of
market development grants to firms
willing to seek out and develop overseas
markets and to participate in Govern
ment-sponsored promotions. Emphasis
is on new firms and new markets, but
all types of farm exports are eligible.
The Australian Government is also -
Increasing Promotion
trying to stimulate exporter interest in
the State trading countries of Latin
America and Africa and has itself
moved to develop trade relations with
the People’s Republic of China, the
USSR, and other' centrally planned
economies. In addition, the Government
provides assistance to overseas trade
missions, and commodity boards carry
out promotion activities for most major
exports.
Of the latter group, the Australian
Meat Board makes the largest single
promotional outlay. This dominance
reflects the big contribution of livestock
and meat products to export earnings—
some 25 percent of agricultural earnings
in 1973.
Major targets of the Meat Board’s
promotional activities have included
Japan, in recent years one of Australia’s
fastest growing meat markets; the Mid
cast; and certain countries of Latin
America. Promotional activities in
V
S
Europe have been mainly low-key public
relations efforts. Those in North America
have been limited to support of the
Lamb Education Center, which is joint
ly sponsored by the Meat Boards of
Australia and New Zealand and the
American Sheep Producers' Council.
Individual Meat Board campaigns
during the past year have ranged from
promotion of “chilled” beef
at the consumer level in Japan, to a
consumer education program in the
Middle East, to a special “product
launch” in Chile and Peru.
The Australian Dried Fruits Board
has concentrated on such activities as
baking contests and participation in
overseas trade shows. The Canned
Fruits Board has spent much of its
budget-over half of which goes for
overseas market development—on point
of-purchase promotions and publicity
campaigns: and the Honey Board has
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I Continued on Page. l 7|
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