SWOT Analysis of the horticultural farms in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria

Agriculture/horticulture has traditionally been an important sector in the economy of Bulgaria. This paper reviews the changes in agriculture/horticulture in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria after 1989 when the transition towards a free market economy began. In particular, it provides a review of the internal capabilities (strengths and weaknesses) of the horticultural farms and the impact upon them of the external environment (opportunities and threats). While many farmers regarded their experience as a strength, farmers having farms of different size identified additional different strengths, and different weaknesses and opportunities. Whereas, all of them were influenced by similar threats and the relative importance of these perceived threats did not varied depending upon the size of the farm

An Evaluation of alternative strategies for the revitalisation of the horticultural industry in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria.

The process of transition from a centrally planned economy established during the period of Socialism (1944-1989) to a free market economy, began in 1989 and since then a range of reforms (political, economic and agricultural) that have affected the agricultural/horticultural sector in the country have taken place. The agricultural reform began in 1991 with the liquidation of the state Agricultural Industrial Complexes (AICs) and the introduction of private farming that established two main organisational structures: private farms and private co-operatives. The situation in agricultural/horticultural sector in Bulgaria and in the Plovdiv region has been placed in a critical condition with decreased production outputs when compared to the prereform levels due to the loss of established markets, high production costs, limited governmental financial and marketing support, old plots of perennial crops (orchards and vineyards), obsolete machinery and technologies and a highly fragmented pattern of land holding. The aim of this research is to evaluate a range of alternative strategies for the revitalisation and the future development of the horticultural industry in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria. This was achieved by an investigation of the following: " The national characteristics of Bulgarian agriculture/horticulture as well as the political/legal environment within which the, farms have operated during the transition period. The local characteristics of the horticultural sector in the Plovdiv region, including an identification of the main advantages and problems. " The business operational characteristics of the farms in the Plovdiv region, particularly with regard to current production and marketing structure. " The evaluation by the farm managers of a range of alternative strategic options, based on Ansoff products/market matrix, for the revitalisation of the horticultural sector in the Plovdiv region. The identification of the business characteristics and the evaluation of the proposed alternative strategic options were studied using face-to-face interviews, assisted by a questionnaire, with farmers managing different types of farms in the Plovdiv region. The main findings indicated that the farms, irrespective of their size, land ownership patterns and type of crops, intended to continue with existing production patterns over the next 5 years, which they perceived as a `safe' option for business survival and as a way of life. This it is argued is the result of the influence of the external (political/legal and economic) and internal environments acting upon the farm businesses. The external environment remains inconsistent and unstable characterised by poor agricultural policies and legislation, undeveloped markets and a lack of finance (subsidies or borrowed) for investment in modernisation and products/markets transformations, while the internal environment was characterised by the weak market position, and low competitive power of the small and highly fragmented farms, which were obliged to sell their produce locally and to accept the market price offered to them. However, farm businesses in the Plovdiv region have considerable potential due to the favourable natural conditions, centuries old traditions of growing horticultural crops, the availability of a wholesale market in the region, combined with the significant knowledge and experience of the farm managers. Although the majority of farmers rejected new business approaches they were aware of the new opportunities that arose from the changing business environment. However, they were waiting for the political/legal and economic stability in the country and EU membership when the external environment would they believe be more stable and consistent

Factors for Successful Development of Farmer cooperatives in Northwest China

Chinese cooperatives, successful factors, cooperative development, Northwest China, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Farm Management, Health Economics and Policy, International Development,

An evaluation of alternative strategies for the revitalisation of the horticultural industry in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria

The process of transition from a centrally planned economy established during the period of Socialism (1944-1989) to a free market economy, began in 1989 and since then a range of reforms (political, economic and agricultural) that have affected the agricultural/horticultural sector in the country have taken place. The agricultural reform began in 1991 with the liquidation of the state Agricultural Industrial Complexes (AICs) and the introduction of private farming that established two main organisational structures: private farms and private co-operatives. The situation in agricultural/horticultural sector in Bulgaria and in the Plovdiv region has been placed in a critical condition with decreased production outputs when compared to the prereform levels due to the loss of established markets, high production costs, limited governmental financial and marketing support, old plots of perennial crops (orchards and vineyards), obsolete machinery and technologies and a highly fragmented pattern of land holding. The aim of this research is to evaluate a range of alternative strategies for the revitalisation and the future development of the horticultural industry in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria. This was achieved by an investigation of the following: " The national characteristics of Bulgarian agriculture/horticulture as well as the political/legal environment within which the, farms have operated during the transition period. The local characteristics of the horticultural sector in the Plovdiv region, including an identification of the main advantages and problems. " The business operational characteristics of the farms in the Plovdiv region, particularly with regard to current production and marketing structure. " The evaluation by the farm managers of a range of alternative strategic options, based on Ansoff products/market matrix, for the revitalisation of the horticultural sector in the Plovdiv region. The identification of the business characteristics and the evaluation of the proposed alternative strategic options were studied using face-to-face interviews, assisted by a questionnaire, with farmers managing different types of farms in the Plovdiv region. The main findings indicated that the farms, irrespective of their size, land ownership patterns and type of crops, intended to continue with existing production patterns over the next 5 years, which they perceived as a `safe' option for business survival and as a way of life. This it is argued is the result of the influence of the external (political/legal and economic) and internal environments acting upon the farm businesses. The external environment remains inconsistent and unstable characterised by poor agricultural policies and legislation, undeveloped markets and a lack of finance (subsidies or borrowed) for investment in modernisation and products/markets transformations, while the internal environment was characterised by the weak market position, and low competitive power of the small and highly fragmented farms, which were obliged to sell their produce locally and to accept the market price offered to them. However, farm businesses in the Plovdiv region have considerable potential due to the favourable natural conditions, centuries old traditions of growing horticultural crops, the availability of a wholesale market in the region, combined with the significant knowledge and experience of the farm managers. Although the majority of farmers rejected new business approaches they were aware of the new opportunities that arose from the changing business environment. However, they were waiting for the political/legal and economic stability in the country and EU membership when the external environment would they believe be more stable and consistent.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Citrus Value Chain(s): A Survey of Pakistan Citrus Industry

Pakistan is producing more than 30 types of different fruits of which citrus fruit is leading among all fruit and constitutes about 30% of total fruit production in the country. Above 90% of citrus fruits are produced in Punjab province and distributed through different value chains in domestic as well as in international markets. A large part of citrus fruit produced in Pakistan is mostly consumed locally without much value addition; however, 10–12% of total production is exported after value addition. The value chains are very diverse, and a number of different players actively participate in these chains, which ultimately decide the destination of citrus fruit in these supply chain(s). Knowing all these facts, the main aim of this research is to identify different value chains of citrus fruit (Kinnow) in Pakistan and also to identify and discuss the role and function of different value chain players in the citrus industry in Pakistan. A survey involving of different players of Pakistan’s citrus industry was conducted in 2013–2014 to better understand the citrus value chain(s). Using a convenience sampling technique, a total of 245 respondents were interviewed during a period of 4–5 months from three leading citrus-producing districts. It was found that citrus value chains can be classified into two major types: unprocessed citrus value chain and processed citrus value chains. It was also found that in the past, a large number of citrus growers were involved in preharvest contracting for their orchards and only a small number of citrus growers sold their orchards directly into local and foreign markets. The proportion has been gradually changed now and growers are becoming progressive and more market oriented

PRODUCT AND MARKET ORIENTATION OF HORTICULTURAL FARMS IN BULGARIA DURING THE YEARS LEADING TO EU ACCESSION – STUDIES IN THE PLOVDIV REGION

Agriculture/horticulture has traditionally been an important sector in the economy of Bulgaria. The paper outlines the structural changes in Bulgarian agriculture since 1989 and discusses the product and market orientation of the horticultural farms in the Plovdiv region of Bulgaria. This paper analyses how farm owners / managers with different sized farms evaluated 5 product/market strategic options: ‘doing what you currently do but better’, ‘developing new horticultural products’, ‘developing new markets’, ‘developing new agricultural activities’ and ‘developing new nonagricultural activities’. The owners / managers identifi ed; whether they perceived these options as feasible for their future development, the encouraging/discouraging factors and the outcomes they expected from their implementation. The small-scale farms (less than 2 ha) were mainly subsistence farms that were relying upon the farmer’s experience to survive during the transition period. The second type of farm (2-10 ha) was ‘transitional’ farms and were working under pressure either for survival or expansion under the new EU related conditions. The third type of farm (over 10 ha) was more business orientated, aiming at business viability and trying to respond to the rapidly changing business environment in Bulgaria as they recognised that the EU accession would present new challenges and opportunities for the successful future development of their farm businesses

Transforming Developing Countries Agrifood Value Chains

The global agrifood trade is highly reliant on developing countries, which affects value chain transformation and which often results in an imbalance of governance and value addition. In order to address this imbalance and increase the overall value creation, this paper develops and empirically tests a framework for agrifood value chain transformation in developing countries. The research employs a qualitative methodology to explore the proposed framework, which is based on a value chain maturity assessment of current practice and identification of a transformation route. Three primary value chain maturity levels in developing countries are established: traditional, managed, and best practice. Each level is determined using key indicators relating to governance (vertical-horizontal coordination, and information flow) and value addition (value orientation, safety, and quality). The application of this framework to Indonesia’s cashew nuts value chain reveals a mix of traditional and managed practices. The short-medium term transformation focuses on enabling farmers, as the decoupled actors, to advance from a traditional to a more managed chain. Further, the major wholesaler and exporter are identified as highly influential in driving the transformation process. The long-term transformation focuses on developing best practices regarding branded value addition and collaborative governance. This framework offers a novel value chain transformation approach based on a maturity assessment technique leading to the identification of transformation routes. This method takes a holistic transformation approach via the evaluation all the value chain actors’ governance and value-addition capabilities. Follow-up research is required to identify the enablers and barriers of globalised value chain transformation, especially with respect to sustainability

Farm diversification opportunities in Bulgaria: the perceptions of farmers in the Plovdiv region

Agriculture faces significant challenges in responding to the rapidly changing global agri-business environment. Due to the decreased incomes in agriculture in the last few decades, farm diversification is frequently recommended as one approach to business survival. The paper outlines the structural changes in Bulgarian agriculture since 1944. This paper also analyses how farm managers with different farm types (size and land ownership patterns) evaluated two strategic options, ‘related’ diversification (introducing new agricultural activities) and ‘unrelated’ diversification (introducing new non-agricultural activities). The managers identified whether they perceived these strategies as feasible for their future development, what factors encouraged/discouraged diversification and the outcomes they expected from diversification. Farm diversification was perceived as an innovative business approach, irrespective of farm size and landownership patterns, which was viewed as feasible in the medium term (5 years) by only one third of the respondents

Measuring agri-food supply chain performance and risk through a new analytical framework: a case study of New Zealand dairy

Many researchers and practitioners have long recognized the significance of measuring performance. Although general guidelines for measuring business performance are widely available, no appropriate measurement frameworks have been developed for measuring agri-food supply chain performance. Particularly, food quality and risk-related indicators have not been well integrated into existing performance measurement systems. Our research, therefore, addresses this knowledge gap by first providing an in-depth review of extant performance measurement systems and frameworks. It then develops an analytical framework by extending the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model which has been extensively implemented across non-food industries. The analytical framework is further validated by utilizing a case study of 50 farmers and 10 dairy companies, operating in the New Zealand dairy industry. Our pilot testing and subsequent findings show that the individual metrics interlocked with the analytical framework are in-line with the key industrial practices adapted by the New Zealand dairy industry. In addition, the framework is flexible and scalable to evaluate and benchmark other agri-food supply chains–ranging from fresh products such as fruits and vegetables to processed foods such as canned fruits. The findings further show that the detailed information required for measuring the level-3 SCOR metrics is not easily available in the industry, as researchers need to access specific company records that may be confidential. Consequently, this study provides how agri-food supply chain managers can employ our new analytical framework in-conjunction with the SCOR model for a deeper understanding of the complicated performance measurement indicators applied in their agri-food production systems and relevant supply chains

Key elements of success and failure in the NZ dairy industry

In partnership with AREN Agribusiness Research and Education Network.This study is one of four studies of New Zealand agribusiness success. In 2006 and 2007, The Agribusiness Research and Education Network researched the success of the New Zealand dairy, kiwifruit, sheepmeat and venison industries. These studies are all business history studies focusing on issues of industry strategy, structure, conduct and performance as perceived by industry participants and the AREN research team. New Zealand is a major player in world dairy markets. New Zealand exports six categories of dairy products: Milk and cream (not concentrated); Milk and cream (concentrated); Buttermilk and related products; Whey and related products; Butter and related products; and Cheese and curd. Concentrated milk (particularly whole milk powder and skim milk powder is the largest product category. Cheese and curd is currently the second most important product category having taken over from butter which has declined in relative importance but remains the third most important category. Non-concentrated milk, buttermilk and whey products are smaller categories but whey products have increased in importance in recent years. The business context for dairy industry participants has been characterised by significant change over the last three decades. Contextual changes have been significant. European and North American subsidies have distorted markets for much of the period. Low cost producers have emerged in China and Latin America. Dairying has had to respond to animal welfare, and environmental challenges. Industry structure has evolved considerably over the last three decades. Structural change has occurred throughout the dairy industry. A key change was the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2003 associated with the dissolution of the NZ Dairy Board, the establishment of Fonterra and the removal of statutory monopoly power. The Act was proceeded by a long period of industry concentration and has been followed by industry evolution at a fast pace. Industry conduct and performance have evolved in response to legislative change, business opportunities and business capabilities. Key developments within the industry have included: enhanced farm productivity, uptake of labour saving technologies, the use of nitrogen fertiliser and supplementary feeds, and ongoing adaptation to new technologies and larger farm size. Interviews with industry participants identified eight key success factors. The eight critical success factors identified were: development of international markets; effective political support in international markets; effective political support within New Zealand; effective evolution of industry structure; farmer engagement in policy, strategy, structure and operations; continuing technological advance; maintaining disease free status; and the development of economies of scale. The dairy industry continues to evolve and faces numerous challenges. Key challenges identified by industry participants were: increasing animal welfare demands; enhancing animal health; meeting environmental challenges; managing intergenerational transfers; achieving appropriate research investment in pastures; achieving sustainable and efficient industry structures; and sustaining effective international marketing strategies.Funded by AGMARDT The Agricultural Marketing Research and Development Trust