Ag Secretary Grubb talks about boosting ag sales...
BY JAMES H. EVERHART
HARRISBURG - Appointed in
June and confirmed over some
opposition in October, Dr. Richard
E. Grubb is starting to make his
mark on Pennsylvania
agriculture.
Following the lead of his boss,
Governor Dick Thornburgh, Grubb
has talked in recent weeks about
the need to expand the op
portunities for farmers to sell food
products, by attracting new food
processing industries to Penn
sylvania.
He agreed to talk about these
plans in an interview with Lan
caster Farming. Following are the
highlights of that interview:
Lancaster Fanning: Both yon and
the governor have talked about
incentives to increase die markets
available to fanners in Penn
sylvania. Can yon tell us a little
more about these plans?
Dr. Richard Grubb, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, during his in terview with Lancaster Farming editor James Everhart
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Let me start in the whole area of
economic development and
marketing. We do have programs
in the department in these areas so
we’re not talking about starting
new programs. We're talking
about working with our existing
programs. There are several
aspects of economic development.
Within Pennsylvania we are
looking at trying to increase the
information assistance that we
give to food processing industries,
and related agri businesses in
getting them to locate here in
Pennsylvania.
For example, we have a lot of
data bases which indicate where
the product is being produced,
where site locations are available,
and information about the Com
monwealth from a business
standpoint. A lot of this is with the
Department of Commerce
So we are really
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sitting down with the Department
of Commerce and coordinating and
working more closely with them in
trying to attract food industries
into the Commonwealth.
It will basically be through data
support, counseling, and trying to
sell Pennsylvania based upon what
we have here-farm production,
business climate, getting ad
ditional agricultural industries to
locate here which would again give
to our fanners and our producers
ready markets.
The population is adjacent to
Pennsylvania, we start at
Washington and go right up the
eastern seaboard to Boston. Our
markets are here. We should be
competitive in terms of tran
sportation.
The second aspect has to do with
increasing our emphasis in export.
We do have an export division,
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based producers and food
processing industries in en
couraging marketing. To have
agricultural expertise overseas
working out of those offices.
Here at home it would mean
taking the data that we have here
in the department and trying to
make that available in all 67
counties. We know our agricultural
information and marketing system
which we are a part of here. We
know what countries are looking
for what food products, using
computerization, electronic data
transfer.
So it’s out there where the
producers and food processors,
and cooperatives have immediate
local access. We would be talking
about the whole concept of export
trade companies in Pennsylvania
and getting them more involved.
Also working with export-import
banks in terms of setting up credits
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for foreign organizations.
We do generic marketing now
through our local program where
Keystone Pride-We’re growing
better. We have over 200 Penn
sylvania-based farms who
promote and sell under our local
program.
I think we have over 2,000 retail
outlets who are handling Penn
sylvania products. I think we need
to do some consumer market
research. Where can we get the
most for our dollar? Working with
our commodity groups in terms of
cooperative efforts in helping to
promote individual commodities,
large milk marketing program,
which is a total producer funded.
Here again, it’s increased em
phasis on what is already un
derway within the department.
LF: Has the marketing identified
any specific commodities or
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