The Role of the Agricultural Marketing Service in Facilitating Electronic Commerce

Terry Long Chief, Market News Branch, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA

Prepared for USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum

February 2000

The Role of theThe Role of theAgricultural MarketingAgricultural MarketingService in FacilitatingService in FacilitatingElectronic CommerceElectronic Commerce

Terry C. Long

Fruit & Vegetable Market News

The Mission of AMSThe Mission of AMS

n To facilitate the strategic marketingof agricultural products in domesticand international markets whileensuring fair trading practices andpromoting a competitive andefficient market place to the benefitof producers and consumers ofU.S food and fiber products

AMS ServicesAMS Services

n Grades, Standardization, andClassing

n Commodity Procurement

n Marketing Agreements and Orders

n Research and Promotion

n Market News

n Food Quality Assurance

More AMS ServicesMore AMS Services

n Pesticide Data and RecordKeeping Programs

n Plant Variety Protection Program

n Transportation Programs

n Laboratory Testing

n National Organic Program

n Shell Egg Surveillance

Current ElectronicCurrent ElectronicServices of AMSServices of AMS

AMS Grades,AMS Grades,Standardization, andStandardization, and

ClassingClassing

n All AMS grade standards areavailable on the Internet

n Digital imaging is available upondemand for some commoditygroups

n Database of inspections

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n Hand held devices to allow one-time data entry and immediategeneration of certificates

n Digital image streaming for video-like access to view product or fortraining

n Public access to the databases

AMS CommodityAMS CommodityProcurementProcurement

n Solicitation package,announcements, invitations andspecifications

n AMS Food Purchase Reports

n Offers and Bids

n Information on how to apply

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n Electronic bid process

n Complete procurement processu Solicitation to Award of Contract

AMS MarketingAMS MarketingAgreements andAgreements and

OrdersOrders

n Federal Register Noticesu Formal and Informal Rulemaking

u Electronic public comments

n Requirements for Importsu Section 8e compliance

n Small business guidelines

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n Instantaneoustelecommunications, includingvideo-conferencing, between AMSand the Administrative Committee

n Electronic reporting by handlers totheir Committees

AMS Research andAMS Research andPromotionPromotion

n Federal Register Noticesu Electronic Comments

n Research and Promotion Boards’vacancies, including the applicationforms

n Hot links to the Research and PromotionBoards’ homepages

n Program requirements and assessments

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n Referendum information

n Instantaneoustelecommunications, includingvideo-conferencing, between AMSand the Boards

AMS Market NewsAMS Market NewsServiceService

n Internet access to 600-700 reports dailyu Text files

u PDF files

n Email of daily National level reports

n Direct feed from the Market NewsCommunications System to secondarydisseminators

n Laptops and hand helds for data collection

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n “Push Technology”

n Public Database Access

n Direct Customer Feedback

n Touch glossary of terms

Regulatory ProgramsRegulatory Programs

n License requirements

n Copies of Publications (English andSpanish)

n List of violators - employment restrictions

n Soundoff (anonymous comments)

n Proposed regulations

n Disciplinary decisions

n Internet Training Program

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n On line license application andrenewals

n Searchable database of precedentsetting decisions

AMS Food QualityAMS Food QualityAssuranceAssurance

n Commercial Item Descriptions(CIDs) on the Internet as PDF files

n Inter-Agency Functional Dictionary

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n Federal Register Noticesu Electronic comments

n Public access to databaseu CIDs

u nutritional aspects

u commercial products

AMS TransportationAMS TransportationProgramsPrograms

n Applications and submission forthe Federal-State MarketingImprovement Programs (FSMIP)

n Transportation reportsu Ocean Rate Bulletin

u Weekly Grain TransportationReport

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n Processing of FSMIP documentselectronically and completingtransactions

n Electronic delivery of trainingseminars

AMS NationalAMS NationalOrganic ProgramOrganic Program

n Federal Register Noticesu Proposed rule-making

n Electronic Public Comments

n Access to transcripts ofu National Organic Standards Board

(NOSB) meetings or conference calls

What’s Next?What’s Next?

n More user friendly for public comments

n Access to additional related informationu NOSB events

u Technical Panel Assistance Reviews

u Scheduled events nationwide andinternationally