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should be done at the most strategic level goes to the issue that 

 you raised with respect to HVP's. 



If you look at trade statistics — and we issued a report to Mr. 

 Penny earlier this year that discussed how important HVP's are in 

 terms of both U.S. exports and world exports — we identified that 

 HVP's are really the growth area for agricultural exports. They 

 have been for some decades a constantly rising share of world agri- 

 cultural trade. 



As world income rises, demand for consumer-ready and other 

 HVP's will definitely grow. And we believe in order to make good 

 use of its resources, the Department needs to step back and take 

 a whole new approach, namely, a strategic marketing approach 

 which will affect both the programs to assist production and the 

 programs to assist exports that the Department manages. 



Mrs. Thurman. Mr. Mendelowitz, I wasn't here, but it is my un- 

 derstanding that you reported to the subcommittee in 1992 that 

 there were some problems in the management of the FAS trade 

 shows. Have there been improvements in these areas? 



Mr. Mendelowitz. My associate, Mr. Thomas, tells me there 

 have been some improvements but there is still opportunity for 

 more. 



Mrs. Thurman. Mr. Goldthwait, the reason I bring this up is 

 that the Florida Agriculture Department started a promotional pro- 

 gram, have been working with the trade shows and different things 

 of that nature; actually, came to the legislature and received some 

 funds. But now, quite honestly, have no funds in the State budget 

 and have been doing it privately, in several different languages and 

 different things of that nature. 



I just wonder if you have looked at that program and is there a 

 way maybe to possibly implement some of that, or at least put to- 

 gether some working groups to find out how they are doing and 

 what they are doing and expanding some of these trade shows so 

 that we can make sure that these products and commodities are 

 looked at? 



Mr. Goldthwait. I am not familiar with the specifics of the work 

 that has been done by the State of Florida. 



Mrs. Thurman. You need to look at it. It is really good. 



Mr. Goldthwait. We will do that. The general direction of our 

 trade shows, I think, has been toward one of improvement, both in 

 terms of the effectiveness and in terms of the cost efficiency. For 

 example, in the past 2 or 3 years, we have gone to the point where 

 we are recovering instead of 40 or 50 percent of the cost of these 

 trade shows, 80 or 90 percent in terms of the willingness of the 

 participants to pay the cost and use their own money in order to 

 participate. 



Let me ask if Mr. Mackie happens to know better than I the spe- 

 cifics of the Florida program and will he want to comment. 



Mr Mackie. No, I do not. 



Mr. Goldthwait. I apologize for that, and we will certainly look 

 into that and provide some feedback. 



Mrs. Thurman. Well, hopefully, we will have an opportunity to 

 sit down and discuss this further. 



Thank you. 



Mr. Condit. Ms. Woolsey. 



