4.5 Marketing considerations in the promotion and development of sundried products (methodological approach)

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- H. Creupelandt and E.S. Seidler

INTRODUCTION

The products: fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs, tubers.

Selection criteria:

1. Those products already on the market in dried form and offering a real prospect in terms of expanding demand;
2. Those products intended for the fresh market, but for which a certain potential demand in dried form can be assumed;
3. Referring to (a) and (b) those products offering prospects for expanding the market by offering a better quality produce at rewarding prices;
4. Those products mainly and in certain caves, exclusively produced in dried form for the market which offer prospects for increasing main market share and return to producers through the use of more appropriate drying methods (spices, herbs).

The following considerations on marketing implications refer essentially to products under (a) and (b) i.e. vegetables and certain common fruits.

THE RAW MATERIAL

At present. As a rule unsaleable produce for the fresh market which implies a certain degree of deterioration affects the final quality after drying.

Envisaged.

1. Produce intended for fresh market to be diverted for drying, before deterioration sets in. This should be done on account of lower quality grade or of being in surplus;
2. The retortion for drying purposes of good quality but low grade produce during the grading-sorting process immediately after harvest (fresh market rejects) should apply to situations where shipments to rather distant markets have to be faced;
3. The specific production of raw material for drying purposes which may go as far as selection of suitable varieties.

The selection between (a) (b) and (c) will be determined by market and economic (profitability) criteria.

For a start, produce finding no ready outlet on the fresh market will have to be retained to avoid deception amongst producers (too low returns).

PROCESSING

Solar drying in a simple low cost form or raw material of acceptable quality.

BENEFITS

• Preserves the product and thereby:

• reduces losses by reducing inherent product perishability;
• extends availability of product;
• can reduce seasonal gluts of produce.

• Facilitates transport - produce is lighter, lose susceptible to damage on bad roads, etc.;
• Allows easier and cheaper handling of the produce;
• Increases the storage life of the product;
• Prepares the produce for consumption - spices and herbs mainly consumed dried.

MARKETS

Efforts will concentrate on small-scale sundrying for local rural and urban populations - will not consider large-scale dehydration (industrial plant) or export marketing of produce.

Farmers prefer to soil on fresh markets where returns are higher. Prices for low quality dried produce, as presently offered, constitute moreover a disincentive to divert timely part of the crop for drying. As such farmers and market operators hold on to fresh produce sales attempts until a rather advanced stage of product deterioration.

It can be assumed that the rapidly expanding populations in urban areas in the Third-World provide' amongst the generally low income consumers, a growing market for sun (solar) dried produce However, beyond the quantitative aspects, this market will have to be tested in terms of quality acceptance and the corresponding price relationship. Producers and market operators are not interested in quality as such but in bettor return prospects.

MARKETING

Analysis of rather detailed market studies to be conducted during the solar drying projects; existing channels, operators, market practices, sources of supply, seasonality and price fluctuation, packaging, etc...

The market and consumers, acceptability tests will have to be organized by the project staff itself but in direct collaboration with selected market operators and, of course, existing outlets and potential and users.

TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY

On the basis of:

• the market survey;
• the technical information acquired (drying);
• the results of the market acceptability tease and price prospects;
• the factual cost data elaborated on the production (raw me, serial), processing (drying) and marketing (distribution)

a realistic cost-return assessment will have to be made by the projects taking into account also the size of the market.

PRODUCTION AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Hill depend entirely upon the projects findings and the conclusions reached under the cost-return assessment mention d above. at this point a decision will have to be made in terms of what products' location of areas offering the beat prospects, type and organization of producers to be involved (individual, farmers, groups) marketing channels and market operators to be used, type of packaging to be used, etc.

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