5/21/2013   11:46 pm

Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (301)

Marketing Research (301 532 05)

Marketing Research includes the Virginia Market News and the Virginia Agricultural Statistics Services.

Virginia Market News Service collects and disseminates daily market prices and analyses to Virginia agricultural producers, processors, handlers, general agribusinesses, agriculture financial community, print and broadcast media, marketers, commercial market news services, consumers and USDA. These unbiased, third party reports assist each business and individual in making accurate, reliable sales and purchasing decisions. Virginia Market News Service operates under a cooperative agreement with USDA AMS Market News.

Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service issues official state forecasts and estimates of crops, livestock, poultry, dairy, prices, labor and other related items in cooperation with the USDA-National Statistics Service. This cooperative series of reports helps maintain an orderly association among the outputs, supply, and marketing sectors in Virginia’s agricultural community. The Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service is a joint cooperative federal and state program.

With the highly competitive global food and forest products arena, consistent market research and reporting is critical to better anticipate market shifts, enhance market segmentation from competitors, and position Virginia sources as preferred suppliers.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  None.
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  Anticipated changes include staying updated with the variety of delivery mechanisms required to reach customers and clients, and the ever-changing nature of Virginia agriculture both in terms of products and customer needs. Greater diversification of Virginia agriculture both in terms of customers and clients enhances the need for more customized market research services.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • Collect daily information on Virginia prices of agricultural commodities.
  • Publish unbiased, third party reports and analyses that assist agricultural producers.
  • Assess current and future markets for Virginia products.

• Enhance the viability of Virginia agriculture by maintaining consistent market news programs to obtain current price information and market trends.
  Objective Description
  Reporting on current market trends and prices and anticipating future market shifts is critical to the survival of Virginia agriculture in the future. Competition for market share comes from around the corner and around the world and producers must have unbiased, reliable information and market analysis to position their enterprises for both the near and longer terms.
  Alignment to Agency Goals
  • Agency Goal: Enhance opportunities for the growth, profitability and continued viability of the Virginia agriculture industry.
    Comment: This objective aligns with the overall objectives to promote the economic development of Virginia agriculture and forestry. This aligns with the long term objective to be a national leader in the preservation and enhancement of our economy.
  Objective Strategies
  • Collect, analyze, and disseminate marketing information on livestock, grain, poultry, fruit, vegetables, peanuts, cotton, oilseeds, hay using network reporting systems, internet and broadcast media through June 30, 2012.
  • Conduct surveys using statistically defensible methods to obtain information needed by commodity groups and specialists through June 30, 2012.
  • Maintain USDA certification and training of Livestock staff to collect and analyze livestock market information through June 30, 2012.
  Link to State Strategy
  • nothing linked
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of completed responses to industry and media requests.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Output

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Maintain

    Measure Baseline Value:

    100

    Date:

    6/30/2009

    Measure Baseline Description: In FY 2009, Market News responded to 100% of the requests for market information from the media and industry.

    Measure Target Value:

    100

    Date:

    6/30/2012

    Measure Target Description: Maintain FY 2009 baseline.

    Data Source and Calculation: Number of customers subscribing to reports of their choice via fax, mail, E-mail or by calling a toll-free number, distribution of Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service annual report.

Back to Report Menu   View Agency   List of all agencies strategic plans