Snooping on the market
INTERNATIONAL market intelligence is in. The Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana formed an International Marketing Intelligence Committee in April this year to optimally exploit export opportunities in the post-GATT era. The committee is divided into 2 groups: the first, a one-time study group chaired by Karam Singh, head of the university's department of economics, will do a prospective analysis on the impact of GATT on agriculture in Punjab. The objective of the second 6-member group, headed by D R Singh of the department of business management, will be "to see what export opportunities will be made available by GATT to explore consumer wants and areas where we have a competitive advantage", according to Amarjit Singh Khehra, vice-chancellor of the university.
For instance, India could exploit the chance to grow vegetables that are costly to cultivate in temperate nations and then export the produce. Khehra maintains that it is essential to prepare an adequate and efficient computerised data bank about export possibilities and make the information readily available to farmers and exporters. "Rapport with industries, particularly those involved in exports, is an essential part of the exercise," says Khehra. He feels that governmental support in the form of feedback from diplomatic missions abroad will also prove invaluable.