74 



USDA NEEDS TO DEVELOP A STRONG 



LONG-TERM MARKET DEVELOPMENT PLAN 



A useful strategic plan would need to meet several basic criteria. 

 It would (1) have a strong analytical base for setting priorities, 

 (2) be developed with high-level USDA involvement, (3) be 

 comprehensive in its scope, and (4) set meaningful priorities to 

 guide agency programs and expenditures. 



In January 1993, USDA submitted to Congress a long-term 

 agricultural trade strategy (LATS) and prepared individual country 

 plans that were intended to guide USDA in its efforts to expand 

 U.S. agricultural exports. As we have reported, 3 LATS and the 

 country plans do not provide the basis for a long-term market 

 development effort. The key weakness is that LATS sets no 

 priorities. It calls for the "fullest possible use of all export 

 assistance programs" without identifying which programs or 

 activities are critical or most important. In our opinion, LATS 

 needs additional work to become a useful management tool to guide 

 program development and resource allocation. 



See Export Promotion Strategic Plan: Will it Be a Vehicle for 

 Change? (GAO/T-GGD-93-43, July 26, 1993). 



See U.S. Department of Agriculture: Improvements Needed in 

 Foreign Agricultural Service Management (GAO/T-GGD-94-56 , Nov. 

 10, 1993). 



