The results of the market analysis allow  the following [tentative] recommendations to be made.

Name of the fish

Except in Greece where red porgy has an excellent image and is known to be red, there is no theoretical problem in introducing farmed red porgy under that name, even though it might not be red, in the other countries:

• red porgy is generally unknown to the consumer
• its colour is thus unknown
• and its name is colour-neutral in languages other than English.

It is the common opinion among operators that a fish has to bear its official name - so no fantasy name. It is also compulsory to indicate that it is farmed.

The necessity of giving the farmed fish the same name as the wild one in Greece, because of its positive marketing implications, raises the issue of the colour, which has to be at least reddish, if not the same colour as the wild fish. This is not the case in the other countries.

OPTIMAL SIZE AND COLOUR

Size

The optimal size is different per country, however operators agree about the opportunity for large size red porgy in the food-service area in all four countries.

In the retail sector, the optimal size is:

• from 250 to 500g (Italy)
• from 300g upwards (Greece)
• 400-600 or 500-700g (Spain)
• over 600g, for a better valorisation (France)

Colour

The importance of colour for the fish consumers and buyers is very different per country, but follows the degree of their knowledge of the fish itself. It is particularly important for the Greek consumer who knows red porgy and expects a red fish. In the other countries, the colour does not matter as the consumer generally does not know what red porgies

look like anyway. However, quite aside from its absence of reddishness, it seems that our farmed red porgy cannot be sold with its current dark colour, since this makes it look like a misshapen sea-bream, and reduces its attractiveness to consumers.

The colour must at least be much be brighter:

• a dark-coloured fish implies a lack of freshness in Spain
• colour is the first criterion of choice, and makes the fish more attractive

In Greece, the colour has to be at least reddish, which is the case of the Atlantic porgy sold already in the country. Its colour will influence its price positioning. The redder farmed the red porgy will be, the more likely it will be to sell at a higher price than farmed sea-bream.

Taste & other sensorial aspects

Since the major finding of the Sensorial Analysis was qualitatively "negative" for the farmed red porgy - less tender, more fibrous - it will be essential that larger-scale and systematic taste tests be carried out before the fish is put on the market in commercial quantities. If the problems are confirmed, the fish will have to go "back to the drawing board" if it is to be valorised to consumers.

OPTIMAL SUPPLIERS

Getting fish directly from the producer generally makes it possible to get it at a lower cost and to ensure traceability. However, given the small volumes of farmed porgy implied, use of wholesalers will be necessary, at least at the beginning, for more flexibility.

The nationality of the farm does not really matter to the operators, especially if it is European, although some buyers did mention their preference for domestic production:

• for Greek operators it guaranties better freshness (plus the strong preference for Greek products among consumers)
• the major Italian retailer COOP ITALIA has as a part of its philosophy to favour domestic producers.

COMMUNICATION

In all four countries it will be important to make a strong communication campaign:

• to reassure both buyers and consumers in Greece about farmed porgy
• to make it known to the general public in the other countries.

Communication has to come from producers or international institutions (i.e. the retailers and wholesalers will not do it on their own).

Retailers are only ready to communicate about the quality and safety of the products for sale, helped by price promotions. Greek retailers which already sell farmed red porgy put the accent on the (Greek) geographical origin of the product.

Potential targets

The potential target for farmed red porgy is likely to be the same as for the other farmed species - a distributor in search of variety, regular supplies, traceability and good prices. The consumer is more likely to be somebody middle aged or older, who can cook, but who is also curious to know new species.

Retailers are more likely to be interested by farmed porgy than are restaurants, which tend to favour wild fish – even though this is in the process of changing.

Information Required

The information required is the same as for any other farmed fish: e.g. farming methods, slaughtering, packaging.

OPTIMAL PRICE

The optimal selling price is not easy to define as the quality of the final product will influence demand, and thus its selling price. Right now operators will not make any judgement on quality, as they have not yet tasted the product.

The level of optimal selling price is likely to be very different from one country to the other, as is shown by the following table. Italy is the country with the lowest price suggested by far - exaggeratedly so, even if one must remember that this does not reflect the overall opinion in Italy.

Suggested Retail Prices per Country, EUR/kg

In all countries, the major point to take into consideration is the competition from:

• other farmed species
• existing cheap imported wild porgy

However, the latter point is only really relevant today in Greece, given the existing offer. It is particularly important, on this more expert market, for the farmed product to be similar in colour and taste to its wild counterpart in order to be able compete at the imported Atlantic wild porgy price level (and not at that of farmed seabream).

Fixing the price at too low a level may make it easier to sell, however it will assimilate it in consumers' minds to a low quality product.

Conclusion

We have tried to sum up the foregoing in the following table, and to indicate the levels of opportunity for farmed red porgy in the four European markets.

It would appear that Italy is the main potential market for red porgy, and it has already been approached by Greek farmed red porgy producers. However the price Italian distributors are ready to sell it at is very low (as low as EUR 2/kg was suggested). This very low price is dictated by the fact that Italian operators consider that farmed red porgy will be in direct competition with farmed sea-bream.

If - and only if - Italian consumers appreciate the taste of red porgy more than that of seabream, and if the colour and appearance of the current farmed red porgy are improved, and if a significant effort is made in consumer communication, only then could prices be higher than farmed seabream.

There could be potential in Spain and France, providing an effort made in terms of shape and colour of the fish, as well as communication. However, in these two countries, particularly France, the fish will continue for a few years yet to suffer from consumer prejudice against farmed fish.

Paradoxically, since it is being farmed in Greece, the Greek market is the one that appears to show the lowest potential, given the existing offer of wild red porgy which already covers the whole quality and price range.