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ONCE ON THE LONG-TERM AGRICULTURAL TRADE STRATEGY (LATS). 

 SPECIFICALLY. WE UNDERSTAND THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE LATS 

 FOCUSED ON GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES RATHER THAN TOTAL 

 INDUSTRY OR SECTORAL OBJECTIVES. IN A MORE FUNDAMENTAL WAY, 

 THE LATS PHILOSOPHY SEEMS MISDIRECTED. IT READS "LATS AIMS AT 

 CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE NATURAL COMPARATIVE 

 ADVANTAGES OF U.S. AGRICULTURE CAN PREVAIL." IMPUCIT IN THIS 

 STATEMENT IS THE COMMODITY DRIVEN EXPORT MENTALITY THAT 

 CURRENTLY EXISTS IN THE AGENCY (I.E., "IF WE CAN CREATE AN 

 ENVIRONMENT WHERE OUR PRODUCT IS THE CHEAPEST, IT WILL SELL"). 

 MISSING FROM THIS APPROACH IS ANY ORIENTATION TOWARD ADDING 

 VALUE, SELLING QUALITY, OR MEETING THE COMPETITION WITH 

 EFFECTIVE MARKETING STRATEGY AND TACTICS. 



IN THE MEANTIME. AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES INDEPENDENTLY 

 DEVELOP THEIR OWN LONG-RANGE PLANS. THE U.S. MEAT EXPORT 

 FEDERATION FOR EXAMPLE HAS QUANTIHED AND QUALIFIED 

 OPPORTUNITIES IN THE EXPORT MARKETS THROUGH THE YEAR 2001. 

 ITS MARKETING GRID PRIORITIZES MARKETS AND SECTORS WITHIN 

 MARKETS BASED ON OPPORTUNITIES AND ALLOCATES RESOURCES 

 ACCORDINGLY. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT 

 TO AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS IS UNCERTAIN, THE INDUSTRY LONG- 



