Diapositiva 1

MIOA Regional Group Update
Panama City
October 7, 2008
USA:
 Partnering with other countries to share
technologies and/or system functionalities that
have the potential to improve and enhance our
system.
 Sharing expertise and influencing the further
development of the MIS of member countries.
MEXICO:
 Participate in a continental collaboration network
related to agricultural market information.
 Specialize in areas of cooperation and support
from other countries in order to improve the
Mexican information system.
 Exchange
technological
specialists
among
the
organization.
knowledge
MIS
within
and
the
 Learn the experience of other countries,
strengths and areas of opportunity to improve
the Mexican information system.
 Diagnose the conditions in which the Mexican MIS
operates
and
obtain
the
necessary
recommendations for the application of the best
practices.
 Identify from other countries experiences in the
application of knowledge to markets as a basic
input in successful business processes.
CANADA:
 Comparing best practices helped us to re-evaluate the
performance our MIS.
 Exchange of ideas and experience: 2007 Managers Workshop.
 Expanding our report coverage to include comparison of
selling prices vs. asking prices, and average wholesale prices
instead of only Low and High.
 Considering adding market analysis – as done in Colombia.
 Considering the value of ISO certification – as done in Mexico.
USA:
 Increase language offerings, with an initial
focus on Spanish.


Expand knowledge of marketing practices
in other countries.
Provide access to timely market information
for member countries.
MEXICO:
 Support the specialization and improved
capacity of MIS managers and market
specialists.


Foster the necessary conditions for the
exchange of knowledge between the MIS.
Find international financing sources that
would allow the development of the MIS
technical, technological and administrative
skills.
CANADA – Improved understanding of Markets:

Market Stability: Having access to a broad range of

Plant Health Crisis Management: Storage holdings
wholesale prices is helpful for the adjustment of
marketing strategies and to manage our domestic
supply capacity for retail store chains and wholesalers.
and price data are important to evaluate the impact of
any disease outbreak.
USA:
 Constraints
 Key reporters nearing retirement.
 Farm Bill requires that more attention be paid to
organic production and marketing.
 Customer demand for more information products
or markets covered.
 Potential
customers
unfamiliar
with
our
information products.

Actions taken
 Recruited new market reporters by multiple
means.
 Hired displaced staff from another Branch.
 Used the team approach to build a Farm Bill plan
of action.
 Added market coverage for new products and
regions.
 Participated in multiple public events to explain
and promote our information products.
 Hosted “hands-on” demonstrations for the public
and for other government agencies.
MEXICO
 Constraints
 Lack of legislation that would make it mandatory
for our sources to provide information.
 Reduction in the number of market reporters and
coordinators.
 Lack of specialization of the employees.
 Constant changes in state government officials,
which limits the continuity of support for the
operation of the MIS.
 Reduced culture in the use of market information
for decision making.
 Resistance from wholesale and retail vendors to
use electronic commerce.
 Permanent updating of the webpage.

Actions taken
 Promoted agreements for the operation of SNIIM
in the states and also collaboration agreements
with the sources that provide information.
 Coordinated mechanisms with state governments
to maintain the work-force of market reporters.
 Trained new employees and promoted national
meetings with the representatives of SNIIM.
 Carried out meetings with producers, sales
personnel,
industry,
transportation,
etc.,
regarding the importance and benefits derived
from using market information.
 Due to resistance and distrust of retailers in
using electronic means to carry out commercial
operations, meetings are conducted to promote
the benefits of electronic means.

Greater speed is required to improve the
webpage visual design, optimize the site
navigation, design a new users interface, make
the databases more efficient, so that requests will
take less time.
CANADA:
 Constraints:

InfoHort is a useful, current source of market information, it
relies on information collection by the Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA). CFIA will cease collection of
horticulture market information at the end of 2008.

Industry consolidation/confidentiality.

Actions taken
 We have developed a partnership between government and
industry to put in place a new data collection methodology
for horticultural markets information.
USA:


Greatly enhanced the Market News Portal and added the
remaining Branches.
Responded to industry requests for expanded coverage
of “missing” markets.

Developed a weekly retail report on advertised specials.

Published promotional articles in industry publications.
MEXICO:
 Promoted SNIIM´s services to increase the
number of users.

A strategy was put in place that would allow
us to launch the service into a period of
renewed growth. The proposed actions are:
 Improve the site’s image.
 Improve the routes to obtain the information.
 Offer new services.
 Use other means of promotions.
 Advertise the MIS in business and specialized
magazines.
 Include in our website, the option that allows
users to send information or recommend it to
other persons that would be interested in it.
 Promote that sites related to marketing and
distribution of farm products displays SNIIM´s
link.
 Send electronic emails to users, with information
related to their inquiries, in order to motivate
them to consult other products and services
offered.
 Find ways for our Webpage to appear first when
internet search take place.



Mexico’s National Autonomous University reviewed the
methodology that we use to obtain the information that
is disseminated on the Webpage and showed that the
methodology is correct and identified areas of
improvement.
ISO 9001:2000 quality system is maintained and
oriented towards continuous improvement and client’s
satisfaction.
Promoted relationships with public and private
institutions that contribute to disseminate and
reproduce SNIIM´s information.
CANADA:

Implementation of public-private sector
partnership led to timely and accurate data.
◦ Use technology to download data directly from
sellers’ databases and then upload to common
database, thus replacing market reporters
( wholesale to retail prices).
USA:




Served as one of the founding member countries of
MIOA.
Participate in MIOA workshops, as well as regional
and country-specific activities.
Work with our partners in the North America
Region to share ideas and to build solutions.
Advise and consult routinely with member
countries on understanding the U.S. markets.
MEXICO:
 Shared the experience of the implementation of
ISO´s 9001:2000 quality system.


Promoted the development of commercial
relations in order to link sellers and buyers, by
the use of electronic tools based on internet.
Provided technical assistance to other countries
regarding SNIIM´s best practices.


Trained
and specialized
technicians in
computing tools for the collection, validation
and dissemination of market information.
Developed methodologies for the collection of
information.
CANADA:


Share technology experience in data collection,
manipulation and dissemination.
Joint workshops focused on improving technical
competencies.

Creation of a common lexicon to facilitate trade.

Development of multilingual website (translation).