He spoke about how the government was making
the best use of its opportunities to promote New Zealand seafood and
wine through trade shows and by wooing key media people.
Bill Floyd, a New Zealand International Seafood Marketing Consultant,
focused on the export of Greenshell Mussels particularly to the US.
Through graphs he showed how New Zealand had achieved the near
impossible with mussels - raising the value while reducing the volume of
Greenshell exports. In 1998 mussel exports reached a volume high of
35,000 tonnes but the sales were worth only NZD 120 million. In 2000
total Greenshell mussel exports were worth in excess of NZD 180 million.
The US is by far the largest and most important market for Greenshells
taking over 40 per cent of all exports.
But Mr Floyd believes that the potential
value of the market to the USA is untapped. He pointed out that about 80
per cent of New Zealand’s mussel exports are sold to independent Asian
markets and most are part of the cuisine in either Chinatown or "little
Italy’. He continued: "This could be dangerous. We knew that these
markets are immensely price sensitive and if a cheaper source of mussels
similar to ours suddenly appeared on the market then we could lose out."
But he also spoke about how New Zealand
mussels could well ride the crest of the fashion wave. "Belgian, Spanish
and Latin American cuisines are all very popular in the US and these all
have mussels as an essential ingredient." He added that in Trendspotter
chains the concept of a molluscan trilogy was a new development. "Clams
and oysters are both well known and popular and people are prepared to
try mussels when they are added to the other two molluscs as part of a
dish."
Most New Zealand mussels are still sold
in the US frozen on half shells. "This is the way that we have sold them
for the past twenty years and it is about time for a makeover."
He continued: "We need to brand our
mussels. So often in the US they are sold as green mussels or big
mussels and only rarely are they called New Zealand mussels or
Greenshell Mussels. We’ve got there by the core value of the product not
by the brand."
Mr Floyd pointed out that there were many
other ways to market the mussel. New Zealand had to look to promoting it
is common with some of its other unique products. Two that he mentioned
were kiwifruit and Sauvignon Blanc.
Commissioning new dishes using mussels
has long been an important part of New Zealand’s campaign to promote
this seafood. As an example he spoke of how he had a French chef develop
a dish inn which mussels were served with a lobster gelee and caviar.
He said that in selling mussels in the
US, New Zealand should work with groups like the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Society and the
Seafood Choices Alliance. "They will
help us give our mussels a special place in the market. We lead the
world in sustainable practises and clean water and this needs to be
recognised when we are compared with other cheaper producers of
mussels."
He concluded by saying that the biggest
threat to the export of Greenshell mussels is complacency. "With
marketing there is no limit to our value to the New Zealand economy."
 FIS.com
Photo courtesy of:-
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