摘要：Agribusiness in the western U.S. no longer consists only of atomistic producers selling into homogeneous
commodity markets. Rather, marketing concepts such as value-added, differentiation, branding and
supply-chain management are now as familiar to growers, grower cooperatives and marketing boards as
they are to food processors and retailers downstream. From Pink Lady apples in Washington State to
Shamrock foods in Arizona and Sunkist in California, ¡°commodity¡± marketers are developing a level of
sophistication on par with the most aggressive consumer good manufacturers. With this increased level
of marketing sophistication, however, comes a new definition of ¡°competition.¡± Competition no longer
implies passive acceptance of a market price, but rather active design of a marketing program intended to
develop and exploit strategic pricing opportunities.
