STRATEGIC MARKETING APPROACH TO SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE THE VIABILITY OF THE AUSTRALIAN MANGO INDUSTRY

A commitment is not being made to process mango products. This is highlighted by industry participants:

• growing and selling only to the fresh market because this market currently has the highest price;
• selling the lowest quality of mango as possible to fresh; and
• even leaving mango's to rot if they cannot be sold fresh.

By not committing mangoes to the processing sector the price of fresh mangoes is expected to decrease in the long term due to the higher supply and the deterioration of consumer demand caused by poor quality produce having been sold on the market. In addition to this, the processed products will not return a better price because the domestic export markets will not have been developed in time, that is market research carried out, distribution networks established and consumer awareness developed.

The processed product markets identified domestically and in particular overseas, are so large in comparison to the supply of mangoes in Australia, a capacity problem (that is a low and unreliable supply of mangoes) also exists. This hinders processors from making reliable commitments and to be able to fulfil the quantity requirements of the markets.

Co-ordination is lacking between processors and industry bodies representing growers. This is expressed by the view that there is a "fresh mango industry" and a "processing mango industry" as opposed to a "mango industry" containing both fresh and processing sectors.

Concentration on a competitive advantage is also lacking in any industry marketing strategies for mangoes.

These four C's are not being applied to the Australian mango industry and hence any favourable future prices and quantities able to be sold on all the fresh, processed, domestic and export markets are threatened.

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