Understanding Consumer’s Attitude on Fish Quality and Marketing Aspects in the Greek Market

During the last decade the Greek fish market experienced significant changes affecting both the supply and the demand of fish. Fisheries have faced significant problems, such as overfishing and low productivity. Similarly, the undoubtedly rapid development of the aquaculture sector was followed by an intense competition and low prices for fish. On the other hand, the traditional Greek consumer’s attitude on fish products is rapidly changing mainly due to socio-economic factors. Within this framework, the consumers play a critical role that of being the link between supply and demand. Thus, the analysis of the consumer’s attitude concerning basic quality and marketing aspects on marine captured and farmed fish market could be a useful tool towards a more rational organization of the distribution roots. For this purpose, research was carried out and a total of 395 consumers, randomly selected in terms of demographic and socio-economic dispersion criteria, were asked to fill in a questionnaire covering aspects of fish marketing and quality aspects, such as consumers’ “sensitivity on fish freshness issuesâ€, “sensitivity on marketing issues†and “reasons for choosing fish as food†in their family. regarding Data were statistically analyzed using categorical regression in an effort to identify the effect of basic classification variables of consumers’ origin and socioeconomic status into their sensitivity on fish quality and marketing aspectFish market, consumer survey, fish marketing issues, categorical regression, Consumer/Household Economics, Marketing,

Public Awareness Concerning the Multifunctionality of Cypriot Agriculture

AbstractAgriculture's multifunctionality constitutes a core dimension in the design of rural development policies of the European Union, recently reformed through the introduction of Reg. EC/1305/2013. Within a generalized rural development context, agriculture plays numerous roles; in Cyprus three sectors other than the production of food and fiber are particularly affected: the environment, including the management of water reserves as water is the scarcest resource on the island and irrigation accounts for more than 70% of the total water consumption, rural amenities, through the protection of the agricultural cultural heritage and the livelihood of rural areas, and the continuation of the farming profession, which is endowed with non-use values. This study presents the findings of a survey regarding the degree to which Cypriots are interested in the aspects of life on the island which are affected by the multifunctional character of agriculture. Using Likert-scale questions, 300 respondents were interviewed concerning their opinions and attitudes towards four of these aspects: environmental quality, management of water resources, rural amenities and the maintenance of the farming profession. The analysis indicates that Cypriots are aware of the roles that agriculture plays. Then, in order to examine the validity of this conceptual framework of multifunctionality, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed. The results of the CFA revealed that Cypriots incorporate these four aspects within the same framework, thus understanding the distinct effects of multifunctionality on their everyday life. The results of this study can be used in the implementation of Reg. EC/1305/2013, as they reflect public preferences concerning the orientation of agriculture

Dairy Farmers’ Strategies against the Crisis and the Economic Performance of Farms

AbstractDairy farming in Greece constitutes a particular case of livestock farming, because of its highly entrepreneurial nature. The modern Greek dairy cattle farming is predominantly based in Northern Greece, where more than 80% of Greek cow milk is produced. Since the 2000's the dairy cattle sector is characterized by a rapid increase in the mean size of farms, which permits them to undertake investments in machinery and buildings and to have access to improved genetic material for the achievement of higher productivity. Nevertheless, this development renders dairy farms vulnerable to volatile economic conditions, as they are heavily dependent on capital endowments. The main purpose of this study is to examine the consequences of the economic crisis on the dairy cattle sector and the strategies undertaken by farmers to cope with it. The analysis is based on data from a questionnaire survey of farmers in Northern Greece. Strategies undertaken by dairy farmers in order to face the crisis and to ensure the survival of their businesses are recorded through a set of Likert-scale questions. Technical and economic data are also analyzed in order to examine the economic performance of farms, revealing that the sampled dairy farms are viable, with satisfactory economic results, with capital returns of 6.2% annually. Based on the Likert-scale data, dairy farmers adopt active strategies to face the crisis, by undertaking investments and augmenting their farm sizes, while they deem that the crisis does not have catastrophic results on the profitability of their farms. On the other hand, strategies which entail less expenses and/or diminished productivity are unpopular among dairy farmers. Finally, the vast majority of respondents claim to have seen negative consequences on their farms from the recent measures concerning the prolongation of the duration of fresh milk in retail markets: lower quality, increased vulnerability to international competition, shrinking dairy sector

Healthcare resources consumed by foreign patients in the public hospitals of East Macedonia and Thrace

The rising healthcare expenditures as percentage of GDP is a reality that all developed countries have to deal with. Epidemiologic standards have changed dramatically since the past. The rapid development of knowledge in the scientific field of medicine and the new state of the art medical technology has led to new treatments for various health problems. Prior fatal diseases have become chronic, and life expectancy has risen significantly, leading healthcare costs to explosion. Healthcare spending in Greece has been increased between 2000 and 2009 at a rapid rate of 6.1% per year, but it has dropped the following years, driven by a sharp reduction in public spending on health care as part of government-wide efforts to reduce the large budgetary deficit. This situation has caused an increasing offence sense in population. On the other hand, the last years, Greece has become an immigrant (legal and illegal) reception centre. This study presents comparative data about the consumed resources by Greek and foreign patients in the public hospitals of east Macedonia and Thrace for the years 2006-2010.peer-reviewe

Internet functions in marketing: multicriteria ranking of agricultural SMEs websites in Greece

Δημοσιεύσεις μελών--ΣΔΟ--Τμήμα Λογιστικής, 2013The invasion of new technologies combined with the high cost for running shop force enterprises to search for new sales methods. Network applications and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) can help achieve e-commerce goals. In Greece, many enterprises in the agro-food and drink sectors are already present on the internet. This paper studies the adoption of e-commerce on websites that support e-commerce activities within the agro-food and drink sectors. Therefore, the paper aims to identify and evaluate their qualitative and quantitative content characteristics, rank them according to 6 content characteristics/criteria using the multicriteria method of PROMETHEE II and classify them in groups of similar adoption. The findings of this study reveal the rate of adoption of e-commerce in the sectors and can serve as a valuable model for the designers of websites that promote e-commerce activities within the wider areas of food and drinks

AN ECONOMETRIC MODEL OF SENSITIVITY AND FORECASTING OF THE GREEK LIVESTOCK SYSTEM

IN THIS RESEARCH, A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE GREEK LIVESTOCK SYSTEM HAS BEEN PRESENTED AND THE FORECASTING ABILITY OF THE FUTURE PATH OF THE VARIOUS VARIABLES OF THE SYSTEM AND ITS SENSITIVITY TO THE VARIOUS ECONOMIC POLICIES HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED. THE ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURALRELATIONSHIPS HAS BEEN PERFORMED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ECONOMETRIC MODEL, WHICH HAS 46 STOCHASTIC EQUATIONS AND 31 IDENTITIES AND INCLUDES ALL THE BASIC LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS (MILK-FROM COWS, SHEEP, GOATS, BUFFALOES, MEAT-FROM BEEF, MUTTON, GOATS, PORK, POULTRY AND EGGS) IN ALL STEPS OF THE ECONOMIC CYCLE (PROGRAMMING, PRODUCTION, FORMING OF PRICES, IMPORTS, CONSUMPTION). THE ESTIMATION OF THE MODEL WAS BASED ON THE METHODS OF OLS/AR1 AND 2SLS/AR1 2SLS AND THE DATA USED WERE THOSE REPORTED BY N.S.S.G. FOR THE PERIOD 1961-1979. THE FORECASTING ABILITY OF THE SYSTEM WAS EXAMINED USING THE METHOD OF THE DYNAMIC SIMULATION AND ITS SENSITIVITY WAS EXAMINED WITH THE INVESTIGATION OF THE DYNAMIC MULTIPLIERS WHICH WERE DUE TO DISTURBANCES TO VARIOUS EXOGENOUS ECONOMIC VARIABLES (INDEX OF PRICES PAID BY THE PRODUCERS, DIRECT AND INDIRECT TAXES) AND PARAMETERS OF MODEL (CHANGE OF THE COEFFICIENTS OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS IN THE PRODUCTION FUNCTIONS). (SHORTENED)ΣΤΗΝ ΕΡΕΥΝΑ ΑΥΤΗ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑΖΕΤΑΙ ΜΙΑ ΠΛΗΡΗΣ ΑΝΑΛΥΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΔΙΑΡΘΡΩΤΙΚΩΝ ΣΧΕΣΕΩΝ ΤΟΥΣΥΣΤΗΜΑΤΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΚΤΗΝΟΤΡΟΦΙΑΣ ΚΑΙ ΔΙΕΡΕΥΝΑΤΑΙ Η ΙΚΑΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΠΡΟΓΝΩΣΕΩΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΕΛΛΟΝΤΙΚΗΣ ΕΞΕΛΙΞΕΩΣ ΤΩΝ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΩΝ ΜΕΤΑΒΛΗΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΣΤΗΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΕΥΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΣΕ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΣ ΣΧΕΤΙΚΕΣ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΕΣ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΕΣ. Η ΑΝΑΛΥΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΔΙΑΡΘΡΩΤΙΚΩΝ ΣΧΕΣΕΩΝ ΕΓΙΝΕ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΚΑΤΑΣΚΕΥΗ ΕΝΟΣ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΕΤΡΙΚΟΥ ΥΠΟΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΟΣ, ΠΟΥ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΙΤΑΙ ΑΠΟ 46 ΣΤΟΧΑΣΤΙΚΕΣ ΕΞΙΣΩΣΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ 31 ΤΑΥΤΟΤΗΤΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΑΜΒΑΝΕΙ ΟΛΑ ΤΑ ΒΑΣΙΚΑ ΚΤΗΝΟΤΡΟΦΙΚΑ ΠΡΟΙΟΝΤΑ (ΓΑΛΑ ΑΓΕΛΑΔΩΝ-ΠΡΟΒΑΤΩΝ-ΑΙΓΩΝ-ΒΟΥΒΑΛΩΝ, ΚΡΕΑΣ ΒΟΟΕΙΔΩΝ-ΠΡΟΒΕΙΟ-ΑΙΓΕΙΟ-ΧΟΙΡΕΙΟ-ΠΟΥΛΕΡΙΚΩΝ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΓΑ), ΣΕ ΟΛΑ ΤΑ ΣΤΑΔΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΟΥ ΚΥΚΛΩΜΑΤΟΣ (ΠΡΟΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΗΣ - ΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΗ - ΣΧΗΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΣ ΤΙΜΩΝ - ΕΙΣΑΓΩΓΕΣ- ΚΑΤΑΝΑΛΩΣΗ). ΟΙ ΕΚΤΙΜΗΣΕΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΥΠΟΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΟΣ ΣΤΗΡΙΧΤΗΚΑΝ ΣΤΙΣ ΜΕΘΟΔΟΥΣ OLS/AR1 ΚΑΙ 2SLS/AR1-2SLS ΚΑΙ ΧΡΗΣΙΜΟΠΟΙΗΘΗΚΑΝ ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΣΥΕ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΔΟ 1961-1979. Η ΠΡΟΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΗ ΙΚΑΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΤΟΥ ΥΠΟΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΟΣ ΕΞΕΤΑΣΤΗΚΕ ΜΕ ΤΗ ΔΙΑΔΙΚΑΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΔΥΝΑΜΙΚΗΣ ΠΡΟΣΟΜΟΙΩΣΕΩΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΕΥΑΙΣΘΗΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΞΕΤΑΣΤΗΚΕ ΜΕ ΤΗ ΔΙΕΡΕΥΝΗΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΔΥΝΑΜΙΚΩΝ ΠΟΛΛΑΠΛΑΣΙΑΣΤΩΝ, ΠΟΥ ΠΡΟΗΛΘΑΝ ΑΠΟ ΔΙΑΤΑΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΣΕ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΣΕΞΩΓΕΝΕΙΣ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΕΣ ΜΕΤΑΒΛΗΤΕΣ (ΔΕΙΚΤΗΣ ΚΟΣΤΟΥΣ, ΕΜΜΕΣΗ ΚΑΙ ΑΜΕΣΗ ΦΟΡΟΛΟΓΙΑ) 'Η ΚΑΙ ΠΑΡΑΜΕΤΡΟΥΣ ΤΟΥ ΥΠΟΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΟΣ (ΣΥΝΤΕΛΕΣΤΗΣ ΔΙΑΧΡΟΝΙΚΗΣ ΜΕΤΑΒΟΛΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΚΗΣ ΠΡΟΟΔΟΥ ΣΕ ΣΥΝΑΡΤΗΣΕΙΣ ΠΑΡΑΓΩΓΗΣ). (ΠΕΡΙΚΟΠΗ

Understanding Consumer’s Attitude on Fish Quality and Marketing Aspects in the Greek Market

During the last decade the Greek fish market experienced significant changes affecting both the supply and the demand of fish. Fisheries have faced significant problems, such as overfishing and low productivity. Similarly, the undoubtedly rapid development of the aquaculture sector was followed by an intense competition and low prices for fish. On the other hand, the traditional Greek consumer’s attitude on fish products is rapidly changing mainly due to socio-economic factors. Within this framework, the consumers play a critical role that of being the link between supply and demand. Thus, the analysis of the consumer’s attitude concerning basic quality and marketing aspects on marine captured and farmed fish market could be a useful tool towards a more rational organization of the distribution roots. For this purpose, research was carried out and a total of 395 consumers, randomly selected in terms of demographic and socio-economic dispersion criteria, were asked to fill in a questionnaire covering aspects of fish marketing and quality aspects, such as consumers’ “sensitivity on fish freshness issues”, “sensitivity on marketing issues” and “reasons for choosing fish as food” in their family. regarding Data were statistically analyzed using categorical regression in an effort to identify the effect of basic classification variables of consumers’ origin and socioeconomic status into their sensitivity on fish quality and marketing aspec