Food and Resource Economics Department

Florida Agricultural Market Research Center

The Florida Agricultural Market Research Center is a research, development and education service offering professional assistance to agricultural, marine and agribusiness groups. The Center is an official unit of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. It is headquartered at the University of Florida, in the Food and Resource Economics Department.

Mission

To foster growth of Agriculture and Agribusiness firms by strengthening and improving markets for Florida Agricultural and Marine products.

Activities

The Center works to solve current and emerging problems affecting Florida agricultural and marine industries. It is particularly concerned with timely, applied research to provide results useful in decision making and in formulating both short- and long-range operational policies. It's goals are to improve, develop and expand markets for food and agricultural products of interest to Florida. Increased marketing efficiency, improved product quality and greater variety in products and services benefit consumers as well.

Center professionals work on the specific problem presented by a group or organization. Those requesting this service defray direct costs of the project. Research, development and education projects are handled by a task force of specialists gathered to meet specific project needs. The full-time center staff includes professional marketing economists, a statistician, computer programmer and secretaries. Additional clerical assistance is added as required. Specialists from other IFAS and university units frequently are included on project work, as are non-university consultants if necessary.

Services
FAMRC offers many services designed to help large and small organizations improve the marketability and demand for products of interest to Florida's many diverse agricultural industries. Our goal is not just to focus on benefits to the producers and sellers of agricultural products, but also to increase the awareness and availability of these products to the consumer as well. The Center is available to acquire, develop and/or interpret marketing and other information that will help maintain and develop markets for agricultural and fishery products from Florida. Such services include consultation on or development of:
- Market Information Systems
- New or improved marketing practices
- Programs to reduce marketing costs
- Improved management of advertising and market development programs
- Providing assistance and consultation on the implementation of new and emerging marketing systems.
Subject Matter Specialists can assist firms and groups in improving performance of marketing operations through consultation with producers, producer groups, marketing managers, board of directors, and others, on ways and means for improving marketing, by assisting them to:
- Detect and define marketing problems
- Recognize changes in marketing needs
- Identify marketing opportunities
- Formulate effective marketing strategies and programs

Facilities
Modern Marketing Research requires a variety of facilities.
The FAMRC has access to some of the most advanced facilities available including:
- Food technology laboratories
- Pilot food processing plants
- Data processing center
- University of Florida libraries Cooperating facilities of:
  - Food processors
  - wholesalers
  - transportation firms
  - retailers
- Consumer panels and related interview facilities
- Other departments and facilities of IFAS and the University of Florida
The Florida Agricultural Market Research Center is located in room 1083 McCarty Hall B on the University of Florida Campus in Gainesville, Florida.

Research
FAMRC, in cooperation with the University of Florida and its related facilities, provides agricultural producers, agribusiness managers, and public and private organization of Florida with top quality marketing research. Our goal is to help promote and strengthen the Agricultural Industry that is so vital to Florida's Economy.

The Center, through its research staff and facilities, assists Agricultural industries by:
- Analyzing strengths and weaknesses of these specific markets
  - Processor markets
  - Consumer markets
  - International markets
- Improving marketing methods and strategies through:
  - Evaluating advertising effectiveness
  - More useful product grading and quality control systems
  - Package size and design testing
  - Improved product pricing strategies
- Lowering costs by improving marketing efficiency of:
  - Physical facilities
  - Distribution methods
  - Transportation methods and handling Market information systems
- Evaluating potentials for new or improved products by:
  - Locating new product opportunities
  - Assessing profit potential of new products
  - Market testing new product concepts
- Developing improved business structure for marketing
  - Centralization or conglomerates Integration, vertical or horizontal
  - Producer and industry associations
  - Private and/or government export market systems
  - Corporate or cooperative
- Analyzing location adjustments and competitive positions of Florida Industries, resulting from changes in:
  - Production costs
  - Transportation costs
  - International developments
  - Consumer demand

Contact

The Florida Agricultural Market Research Center is here to assist you with your needs. Your County Extension Director has information about the center and can put you in touch with the appropriate person to assist you. You may also contact the center directly by addressing your inquiry to:

Florida Agricultural Market Research Center
Food and Resource Economics Department
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611-0204

Telephone: 352-392-1871
Email: marketresearch@ifas.ufl.edu