Marketing of Mango: Perceived Constraints During Normality and due to Lockdown in West Bengal

The study was undertaken to assess the perceived constraints in marketing of mango duringnormality and due to lockdown in West Bengal. In all, 90 respondents were randomlyconsidered for the study with equal proportionate of small, medium and large farmers.The perceived constraints faced and suggestions in improving the marketing of mangoeswere analyzed through Garrett ranking techniques. The study shows that the majorperceived constraints in marketing of mangoes during normality were high fluctuation inmarket price during season followed by inadequate marketing channel and exploitation bymiddlemen. But during the lockdown, the major perceived constraints were no market tosell their mangoes followed by exploitation by middlemen and small opening hours ofmarket. The suggestive measures recommended by the mango growers to improve marketingopportunities were stable market rate according to grade of mangoes followed by propermarketing channel and elimination of middlemen. The mangoes growers had not felt needfor cooperative marketing network or formation of Farmer Producer Company for itsmarketing.

How B2B marketers interact with customers and develop knowledge to produce a co-owned marketing strategy

Purpose This paper aims to explore how senior business to business (B2B) marketing managers within a collectivist culture, contribute to knowledge development by interacting with staff in customer organizations to produce a co-owned marketing strategy. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research strategy incorporating an open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data from 15 senior B2B marketing managers in three Korean companies that deployed the customer-centred approach. The grounded theory technique (Strauss and Corbin, 1998) and the mind map method (Burgess-Allen and Owen-Smith, 2010) were used to show how senior Korean marketing managers’ thoughts are processed and knowledge transfer occurs. Findings The findings show that a governance mechanism is instrumental in guiding interactive communication that results in knowledge being used that benefits the members of a partnership arrangement. The knowledge development process is enhanced by mutual trust and emotional bonds that are established through socialization. Cyclical interaction through socialization and frequent (in)formal meetings facilitates the process of turning explicit knowledge into tacit knowledge and vice versa, and encourages new knowledge to be developed. Socialization also helps to reduce learning myopia and contributes to the innovatory processes that result in customer needs being met. Originality/value The paper provides insights into the importance of boundary setting that facilitates cooperative marketing action, which results in a B2B integrated marketing intelligence and planning process.

Co-ops 2.0: Alternative Retail Strategies to Support a Sustainable Transition in Food Retailing

While modern food retailing is characterized by high price pressure and low-quality differentiation resulting in a limited supply of sustainably produced alternative food products, cooperative retailing structures offer additional synergies in terms of logistics and operations that hold great potential to support the expansion of sustainable produce. Many retailers in Germany are organized in cooperatives of sufficient size to generate large-scale effects while still allowing individual retailers to pursue independent business structures. Cooperatives targeted to elaborate on collectivity operate a business. In economic terms this means that scale effects are used to elaborate and help single business. In the food sector cooperative structures in Germany provide a substantial impact in food delivery and provision, especially fresh foods are very sensitive and need fast circulation. Sourcing sustainable, local and regional foods are often produced (or rather crafted) in small scale entities. This paper asks the question of how and whether cooperative marketing structures help to deliver and use scale effects of larger entities, while still collaboratively encouraging food marketing. Accordingly, this paper reports on an investigation of the main challenges faced by members of a large-scale cooperative in retailing sustainably produced products and the motives of these retailers in choosing whether or not to sell such products. Taking the case of grass-fed beef sold by retailers within a large German cooperative, the study reveals that some of the obstacles to selling this sustainable product are comparable to challenges typically encountered in other retailing channels beyond cooperative structures. However, we also find that the flexibility of the cooperative structure enables individual retailers to bring their intrinsic motivation into (sustainable) action in the marketplace while taking advantage of the support offered by the cooperative in terms of marketing and consultation, etc. This analysis confirms that personal motivation within this cooperative structure is a strong determinant for individual retailers to pursue different pathways for the marketing and sale of sustainably produced food.

Recognizing Determinants to Smallholders’ Market Orientation and Marketing Arrangements: Building on a Case of Dairy Farming in Rural Kenya

Smallholder commercialization is central to international development policy and practice. As a result, several arrangements to foster market linkages are being implemented. Especially popular are farmers’ organizations, which are believed to be owned, controlled, and financed by smallholders. As such, their design is considered inclusive given every household in a community is theoretically allowed to become a member, and the governance and management structure encourage participatory decision-making. However, even in the context in which farmers’ organizations are actively promoted, a notable proportion of smallholders may not be able to engage in market-oriented production or may opt for the existing alternative marketing arrangements, as dictated by individual households’ socioeconomic characteristics. Focusing on the case of smallholder farming in Olenguruone, Nakuru county, Kenya, where a donor funded dairy farmers’ cooperative marketing arrangement is promoted alongside existing marketing opportunities, the present research investigated the factors that determine smallholders’ commercial farming orientation and marketing arrangements. It employed a case study approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative research methods for a more complete empirical inquiry. The findings demonstrate that irrespective of the external support provided through marketing opportunities such as farmer organizations, smallholders’ engagement in commercial farming and marketing is dictated by the socioeconomic attributes and market perceptions that are heterogeneous among households in a smallholder community.

FINANCIAL APPRAISAL OF COFFEE GROWERS AND TRADERS IN KASKI, GANDAKI PROVINCE, NEPAL

Coffee was introduced in Nepal in 1938 A.D. After that, it has gained popularity day by day. Coffee is considered a High Value Crops from commercial point of view in Mid Hills of Nepal. The production and cultivation have increased in Nepal over the years but not up to the mark though it is profitable. The research was conducted to know about financial appraisal of coffee growers and traders in Kaski District. 40 farmers, 3 primary processors, 1 secondary processor were interviewed by using semi structured questionnaire. The result concluded that coffee business is sound and profitable in the studied area. It was indicated by Gross Margin which was found Rs 74536.25/ha., BCR was found 1.12, NPV Rs 256961.33/ha & FRR was found 29%. The number of productive plants was the main factor affecting coffee production in the study area. Furthermore, the Return to Scale value was found 0.43. As far as the marketing of the coffee majority of farmers used cooperative marketing Channel. There was value addition of Rs 78.88 from producer (Fresh cherry) to primary processor (Dry parchment), value addition of Rs 275 from primary processor (Dry parchment) to secondary processor (Green Bean), value addition of Rs 226.27 from Green Bean of secondary processor to Roasted Bean/Powder of secondary processor and finally value addition of Rs 84.03 from secondary processor (Roasted Bean/Powder) to consumer. Thus, secondary processor was most important actors of value addition condition among other coffee micro actors. The study also ranked “more income compared to cereal” as the main reason to adapt coffee farming by farmers and “infestation of insects and pests” as the major constraints of coffee farming in studied area. Study suggested that proper expansion of Coffee farming is needed in the district with the collaboration of NTCDB and Local / province government.

Implementation of the cooperative marketing paradigm in the farming activity

The globalisation of Ukrainian economy, the distribution of land resources, the diversity of commodity producers and the radical breakdown of property relations have significantly affected the agricultural sector and production volumes. The development of farming in such conditions is accompanied by a set of financial, economic, material, technical, and social problems. This implies the need to introduce a qualitatively new conceptual paradigm of its development. The purpose of the study is to prove the relevance and feasibility of the application of the cooperative marketing paradigm complementary with marketing tools in the in the context off meeting the business interests of farmers. The objectives of the study are: identification of the main directions and trends in the development of farm business; implementation of the service cooperation concept in their activities in combination with marketing tools as well as the substantiation of the prospects of using cooperative marketing for farmers. In the course of the study, the following methods were used: abstract-logical and statisticaleconomic, analysis and synthesis. The undeniably important role of farms in agricultural production has been identified. It is emphasised that they have a number of competitive advantages, however, currently, they cannot fully use their own potential. Instead, the agricultural service cooperatives will contribute to the establishment of long-term and effective coordinated interaction in the rural society. The application of the radically new management approaches is proposed, the basis of which is the cooperative ideas with the marketing tools. The methodological understanding of the use of cooperative marketing in rural areas is presented and its prospects are proved. It is argued that the concept of cooperative marketing implementation to the agricultural business environment will contribute not only to the emergence of economically strong, competitive business units and the establishment of the favourable business climate, but an increase in the welfare of the rural population

Socialization Level and Market Response of Pulse Crop: Structural and Functional Interpretation

Pulses are important component of diet in Indian, mainly for being one of the leading cheap and reliable sources of protein. The emphasis of the Government has, accordingly, been on increasing production of pulses through area expansion and adoption of improved technology. Equally important is the marketing of the pulses, particularly in an objective condition created by the introduction of reforms in the marketing sector, conspicuous by an existing demand-supply gap in pulses. Marketing can also help inducing an element of incentive to farmer through participation in processing and distribution of pulses through direct marketing, or cooperative marketing to get higher share in the consumer’s price. The study has been carried out in two developed block namely Chakdah and Haringhata of Nadia district in West Bengal. The two villages out of twenty-seven gram panchayat were purposively selected for the present study. The multistage purposive and random sample techniques were the key to contrast sampling design in the present study. The statistical tools like mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation, coefficient of variation, coefficient of correlation, multiple regression, step down multiple regression and path analysis. The study also responded to the inquiry as to where and how much the crop marketed this will be much rewarding and beneficiary to the common farmer. The determinants like yield (kg/bigha), farmer’s attitude towards Pulse crop cultivation and gross return (Rs/ Bigha) are decisively characterizing the marketed surplus of pulse crop.