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The vegetable seed
sector has experienced profound changes in this respect.
Traditionally, the breeding seed companies have focused their
research programs on meeting the requirements of the growers,
who were their direct customers. The goal was to come up with
solutions to the many agronomic problems which the growers
encountered.
The decision
making power has shifted to the next link in the supply chain
and now resides with the people who distribute the produce:
produce agents, supermarkets, etc. The same shift had taken
place a while ago in the vegetable processing sector, where
the processing companies have been dictating the varietal
choice for quite some time. In the fresh market, the growing
influence of those who bring the produce to the consumers is
much more recent.
The consumers
themselves are begining to influence the decision making
process as they find better ways to make their preferences
known. It is already very clear that consumers want greater
diversity and higher quality in the produce they buy.
So, while we
must still pay considerable attention to the needs of the
growers, who remain our direct customers, we must look beyond
and take into consideration the desires and requirements
coming from further down the distribution chain. This is
particularly true in the developed markets, less so in
developing markets.
Ultimately, the
focus is bound to shift towards the end consumer. |
