By W.B. Dobson
Possibilities for substantial additional opening of world dairy markets appear limited in the near term. U.S. policymakers have few incentives to push for more open U.S. markets. EU policymakers must decide what to do about domestic dairy policies–especially how to include Eastern European countries under the CAP–before they will be positioned to consider substantial further liberalization of Union dairy trade policies.
Australia’s dairy industry experienced unique circumstances that created strong pressures for deregulation and a push for dairy export expansion. The U.S., EU, and Canada face no similar pressures for deregulation.
The WTO panels’ decisions regarding Canada’s Class 5 pricing system have had chilling effects on proposals such as the U.S.’s Class IV dairy export program and two-tier export programs advocated by the Danes.
The New Zealand Dairy Board’s decision to adopt strategies that will increase the Board’s direct investments in foreign dairy companies and use milk produced in other countries to expand the firm’s sales reflects in part a lack of optimism on the part of New Zealanders about further opening of world dairy markets.
Management Lessons
Officers of many dairy-food companies point to Nestle as a model to be emulated in the sale of highly differentiated dairy-food products. In particular, Nestle’s practices show how a firm can capitalize on size advantages and operate successfully in both developed and developing economies.
The New Zealand Dairy Board (NZDB) and Kerry Group/PLC provide examples of what can be accomplished mainly by superior management.
The NZDB has been able to cling to monopoly exporting and long- established exporting practices in part because it has had superior management.
Cooperatives in many countries point to Irish cooperative/public limited companies – especially the Kerry Group/PLC – as examples of what can be accomplished by converting to a cooperative/public limited company. An important lesson from Kerry Group’s experience is to not attribute too much of the firm’s success to Kerry’s decision to convert to a cooperative/public limited company. Kerry’s success is mostly a tribute to good management.
Food Master’s experience in Kazakhstan, the Ukraine, and Moldova underscores the difficulties of operating dairy-food businesses (and probably many other businesses) in the Former Soviet Union. The company’s businesses appear to be operating in what Michael Porter and Warren Buffett describe as unattractive industries.
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