A strategy to increase the competitiveness of аgro-industrial enterprises

The need for stabilization and development of agro-industrial enterprises, especially of the poultry processing sector, market saturation with domestic and imported goods, Ukraine's entry to the WTO as well as increased consumer requirements for quality and safety of products increase competition in the market of poultry meat. This necessitates the implementation of modern technologies into the market behavior of enterprises processing poultry meat, and the elaboration and implementation of a strategy aimed at achieving their strong competitive advantages should be an integral condition for the development of the enterprise. Creation of competitive advantages is the purpose of the enterprise’s strategic management, the determining factor of increasing its competitiveness. For this purpose, domestic enterprises both in domestic and foreign markets need effective tools of strategic management, which are used in the process of building a scientifically based strategy to increase their competitiveness. Its development, taking into account the operating specifics and factors ensuring competitive advantages of enterprises processing poultry meat, requires a systematic reasoning for the choice of the mechanism of its formation. In literature on economics, considerable attention is given to the problems of securing the competitive advantages of enterprises. Important scientific contributions to the development of the theory and practice of competitiveness, as an element of the enterprise’s strategic management, was made by well-known foreign and domestic scientists, in particular G. Azoiev, S. Anokhin, O. Arfiev, I. Bily, I. Blank, Y. Brigkham, V. Vasylenko, O. Vykhansky, V. Ivanov, S. Kozlovsky, L. Kostyrko, S. Pokropyvny, M. Porter, R. Solow, A. Thompson, J. Schumpeter, A. Yudanov and others. To the study of theory, methodology and formation of strategies to achieve competitive advantages, especially in agricultural enterprises in the conditions of increased competition, are devoted works by T. Akymova, V. Andriychuk, L. Berezina, I. Vinichenko, O. Honcharenko, P. Makarenko, M. Malik, L. Melnyk, L. Marmul, L. Mykhailova, O. Oliynyk, P. Sabluk, O. Skydan, I. Cherven, O. Shpychak, O. Shubravska, O. Ulianchenko and others. However, the issues of a systematic approach to building a strategy to increase the competitiveness of agro-industrial enterprises remain insufficiently investigated, as well as the research into its role of ensuring sustainable development of business entities, the use of internal marketing tools for the development of a company’s key competencies, the development of management tools and effective ways of ensuring the effective managerial process, taking into account the specific economic activities of enterprises engaged in poultry meat processing. The above-mentioned necessitated a separate scientific research.

PELATIHAN SUSU PASTEURISASI, YOGHURT DAN CARA PENGEMASANNYA DALAM PENINGKATKAN PENDAPATAN PANTI ASUHAN HIMATUN AYAT

Himmatun Ayat was an orphanage located on Jalan Dukuh Kupang, Surabaya, East Java which aimed to build public awareness of orphans, poor people, and neglected children in achieving their goals for a better future. The problems faced by the Himmatun Ayat orphanage during the COVID-19 pandemic were the decline in turnover and market saturation for their products. The solution was to evoke entrepreneurship development during the pandemic with innovation and technology by providing training on the manufacture of various flavors pasteurized milk, yogurt, and packaging methods to increase the economic value of the product so it could increase the income of the Himmatun Ayat Orphanage. The implementation of this activity was carried out by three methods: 1. Counseling, 2. Training, and 3. Monitoring and evaluation. The result obtained from this community service was all participants displayed the results of pasteurized milk and yogurt products as well as good packaging according to what was conveyed. The successful application of technology through community service could increase the income and welfare of the Himmatun Ayat Orphanage.Keywords: pasteurized milk, yogurt, packaging, orphanage, community service. AbstrakHimmatun Ayat merupakan lembaga panti asuhan yang di Jalan Dukuh Kupang, Surabaya, Jawa Timur yang bertujuan membangun kepedulian masyarakat kepada anak-anak yatim, kaum dhuafa dan anak terlantar dalam meraih cita-cita menuju masa depan yang lebih baik. Permasalahan yang dihadapi panti asuhan Himmatun Ayat saat pandemi COVID-19 ini adalah penurunan omset dan kejenuhan pasar terhadap produk mereka. Solusinya membangkitkan pengembangan kewirausahaan di masa pandemi dengan inovasi dan teknologi dilakukan dengan memberikan pelatihan pembuatan produk susu pasteurisasi aneka rasa, yoghurt dan cara pengemasannya untuk menambah nilai ekonomis produk sehingga meningkatkan pendapatan Panti Asuhan Himmatun Ayat. Pelaksanaan kegiatan ini dilaksanakan dengan tiga metode: 1) Penyuluhan, 2) Pelatihan, dan 3) Monitoringdan evaluasi. Hasil yang didapat dari pengabdian masyarakat ini semua peserta menampilkan hasil produk susu pasteurisasi dan yoghurt serta kemasan yang bagus sesuai dengan yang disampaikan. Keberhasilan pengaplikasian teknologi melalui pengabdian masyarakat ini dapat meningkatkan pendapatan dan kesejahteraan Panti Asuhan Himmatun Ayat.Kata kunci: susu pasteurisasi, yoghurt, pengemasan, panti asuhan, pengabdian masyarakat.

Grain pricing in Ukraine: A case study of malted barley

The agrarian market participants operate in a changing market environment. Their activities are characterized by a high level of risk, in particular, price risk, which determines the likelihood of failure in achieving the planned results. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the dynamics of prices for malted barley and determine the main factors influencing the price of malted barley in the agricultural market of Ukraine. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is the scientific works of domestic and foreign authors on the problems of pricing management. Methods of data analysis, synthesis, and generalization of results are used. As a result, one can notice a high level of price fluctuations, significant price fluctuations during the year, absence of a uniform inversely proportional effect between the volume of barley production and its purchasing prices, and presence of disparity between the selling price of barley and the production costs of grain producers. The key factors that determine the price of malted barley include market saturation, grain quality, production expenditures, conditions on the market of barley fodder, contractual relations (which are sufficiently standardized but do not protect agricultural producers from risks), public policy through regulation market. The study outlined recommendations regarding the need to improve the legal regulation of relations and the development of a system to ensure the functioning of the grain market, effective cost management, introduction of innovative agrotechnologies, and financial hedging instruments.

Customer Loyalty a Key to Success: A Case Study in Telecom Sector of Pakistan

This paper identified the role of the independent variable like service quality, taking perceived value, word of mouth and customer satisfaction (mediation/ intervening variables) in creating customer loyalty (dependent variable) among the telecom user (mobile phone users). The empirical portion have extensive literature regarding the mentioned variables and shown their impact towards the customer loyalty. The telecom industry has been facing cut throat competition due to the market saturation, decrease in ARPU (average revenue per user), and shift to internet based (cheaper sources) communication tools, unexpected mergers, higher cost and decreasing the margin. Thus, telecom companies have been thinking about devising the best possible suitable strategies for creating the customer to maintain their survival and growth. The simple random techniques are used for sample selection and self-administration questionnaire is the tool for collecting data. A sample of 300 universities students from Rawalpindi and Islamabad is base for analysis. Amos 20 is the software and SEM is the tool for extracting result. Dual relationship is tested likewise direct (service quality and customer loyalty) and indirect through mediating variables. Results showed that customer satisfaction is the strongest mediator in developing a high-quality customer loyalty service, and it has more effect than the direct link between quality of service and customer loyalty. It leads industrial professionals to develop a strategy based on customer satisfaction. It is concluded that customer satisfaction increases the level of the industrial professionalism. Hence the customer satisfaction increases the service quality and customer loyalty services. In nutshell, the cooperate image and switching barrier can be possible leads for the future research.

Youth Preferences and Sensory Experiences

Кофе - один из наиболее активно потребляемых на данный момент напитков. Сегодня производством и обработкой кофейных зерен занимаются более 70 стран мира. По данным ФАО, Бразилия и Вьетнам на протяжении многих лет занимают лидирующие позиции по производству кофе. При этом отмечается, что продажи кофе снижаются из-за насыщения рынка и других негативно влияющих факторов, таких как привычки к чаю или безалкогольным напиткам, увеличение неравенства доходов и проблемы со здоровьем. Авторами был проведен анализ ассортимента кофе на мировом рынке, включая элитные и эксклюзивные сорта кофе. Рассмотрены основные потоки производства и импорта кофейных зерен по странам мира, рассмотрены основные поставщики и производители кофе. Проведена экономическая и органолептическая оценка напитков кофе, оценка технологии производства некоторых брендов кофе, производящих зерновой, молотый, растворимый и капсульный кофе. Оценены преимущества и недостатки рассмотренных брендов, отмечено, что для придания потребительских свойств продукции мировые компании закупают кофейные зерна у поставщиков, обжаривают их и соединяют в различные купажи. В статье проанализированы предпочтения потребителей кофе в различных странах и способы удовлетворения данных предпочтений, проведено исследование среди студентов для определения потребительских предпочтений в разных видах кофе. Coffee is one of the most actively consumed beverages at the moment. Today, more than 70 countries are engaged in the production and processing of coffee beans. According to the FAO, Brazil and Vietnam have been leading coffee producers for many years. At the same time, it is noted that coffee sales are declining due to market saturation and other negative factors, such as tea or soft drink habits, increasing income inequality and health problems. Coffee production is based on two varieties of coffee beans: Robusta and Arabica. Based on this, the analysis of the range of coffee on the world market, including elite and exclusive varieties of coffee, was carried out. This article also examines the main flows of production and import of coffee beans in the countries of the world, the main suppliers and producers of coffee are considered. Today, in the coffee market, you can find a huge number of brands that offer coffee in various forms. An economic and organoleptic assessment was carried out, as well as an assessment of the production technology of some coffee brands that produce grain, ground, instant and capsule coffee. The advantages and disadvantages of the considered brands are noted. It was found that to give consumer properties of products, global companies buy coffee beans from suppliers, fry them and combine them into various blends. The article analyzes the preferences among coffee consumers in different countries and the ways to meet these preferences. Additionally, a study was conducted among students to determine the preferences of coffee consumers.

Raw Materials Sources of Building Materials of Ukek Districts

Cataloguing of the Ukek architectural objects has produced the basis for conclusions on the market saturation with local construction material (sandstone) for building foundations. The amounts of building stone to be found within Ukek were insufficient to satisfy the needs of the construction segment of the medieval market. Numerous outcrops of Paleogene sandstones within the Lysogorskoye Plateau used to be developed as early as the beginning of the 20th century. A medieval settlement lying 11 km away from the town and pertaining to its vicinity happens to be close to the site of sandstone development in the Lysaya hill. Mineralogical-petrographic studies of the stone block covered with artistic carvings and found in Ukek indicate its similarity to the sandstones from the occurrences and deposits in the Lysaya hill. According to the results of mineralogical-petrographic analysis, the stone joint block and the grave plate from Ukek is reliably comparable with dolomites from the Tyoplovka deposits of construction stone (carbonate rocks) situated 73 km away from Ukek.

Nature-Based Solutions Tools for Planning Urban Climate Adaptation: State of the Art

Despite the recognized potential of nature-based solutions (NBSs) to support climate adaptation, there are still wide barriers for a wider uptake of such NBS in urban areas. While tailored NBS tools could facilitate and accelerate this process, a comprehensive mapping of their availability and capacity to respond to cities’ challenges is missing. This research aims to provide an overview of tools that intend to facilitate the uptake of NBS for urban climate adaptation supporting cities in overcoming their challenges. To do so, this paper (i) presents the results of interviews and workshops with municipal officers and decision-makers from different European cities that identified the challenges they experience with NBS uptake; (ii) selects and reviews NBS tools and (iii) analyzes them on their capacity to address these implementation challenges. Our research revealed four key challenges that municipal officers experience: resources availability; level of expertise, know-how or competence; the institutional setting, and collaborative governance and planning. The results from the tools’ review show that existing tools can support overcoming a lack of expertise (31), but, to a smaller extent, can also be of use when experiencing the institutional setting (13), availability of resources (11), and collaborative governance and planning (10) as a challenge. This work provides researchers and tool developers with insights into potential market saturation as well as scarcity of certain types of tools that would match cities’ challenges, highlighting needs and opportunities for new tool development.

MARKETING BUDGET FOR LAUNCHING A STARTUP PRODUCT

The article discusses the approaches for marketing budgeting of startups at a launch stage. There is no single efficient approach to the generation of a startup marketing budget. The selection of the approach will depend on the unique characteristics of the company and product, the target audience and its geography, income, as well as the source of funding (own funds, investor funds, grants, loans, etc.). Marketing and advertising costs in the budget of modern startups have grown significantly over the past ten years due to the following factors: platform consolidation, competition on paid advertising channels, ad blocking and the availability of marketing tools, increased competition, and market saturation. The article summarizes the recommendations that will help to distribute the startup marketing costs effectively. The proposed principles of startup marketing budgeting should be adapted to the conditions of the market environment and the research results of the target audience.

Qualitative characteristics of the fungus Cyclocybe Aegerita Strains 2229, 2230, 2231 under industrial cultivation conditions

The “poplar” mushroom C. aegerita has fruiting bodies that are attractive for their appearance and tasty properties. It is also known that mushrooms contain unique substances, especially proteins, polysaccharides, and aromatic terpenes with enhanced nutritional and medicinal value. However, the lack of a well-founded technology of cultivation using available agriculture wastes interferes with the domestic market saturation with this mushroom. Three strains of C. aegerita from the IBK mushroom culture collection were investigated on the possibility of introducing them into the industrial culture. The vegetation cycle of strains 2230 and 2231 was found to have a duration of 42 days versus 46-64 days for the previously studied strains. The highest yield was obtained in the study for strain 2231, which yielded from 217 to 220 grams per kilogram of the substrate during three cycles of cultivation. The biological efficiency of the strains as a result of the first fructification flush was from 20,2 (2229) to 60.4 % (2231), which is in agreement with the published data of other investigators. The external appearance was described in detail and parameters of fruiting bodies of strains were analyzed, which differed from each other both by shape and size. Microclimatic conditions for the study, strains 2230 and 2231 had brown caps, whereas the formed fruiting bodies of strain 2229 were distinguished by a pleasing milky cream color. The heaviest fruiting bodies were formed in strain 2229 (7.5±0.4 g), which was an average of 2 g higher than the weight of fungi of other strains studied. The highest fruiting bodies were found in strain 2230 at a height of 91.0±1.8 mm, which also had the widest cap with a 29.5±0.9 mm diameter. The greatest diameter of the stipe, reaching an average of 10.8±0.3 mm, was observed in fruiting bodies of strain 2229. The variability of morphological characters and the tendencies in the number of fruiting bodies of a certain size in the total volume of harvested mushrooms were investigated, which can help in the design of packing and marketing measures.