The marketing strategies of livestock enterprises in objective one regions : a comparative study between Greece and United Kingdom

Abstract

This research aims to identify the marketing decisions made by agricultural producers in two E. U. Objective I regions and to provide insights into the reasons that such decisions are made, with a particular focus on meat and milk products. Two farm business surveys; one in the involving sheep and goat farmers in the Region of East Macedonia and Thrace (EMT11) in Greece and one in the sheep and dairy cow fanners in Cornwall, U. K. were undertaken in order to identify their marketing behaviour. This study used robust predictive models incorporating bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques in order to develop marketing typologies regarding tile livestock and milk marketing strategiest hat the sheepa nd goat fan-ncrsf ollow in EMT11a nd which tile sheepa nd dairy cow fan-nersa dopt in Cornwall. Results show that the sheep and goat fan-ners in EMTh follow three different livestock marketing strategies: (a) cost-focus strategy, (b) production-orientation strategy and (c) return-focus strategy; and three different milk marketing strategies: (a) differentiation strategy, (b) production orientation strategy and (c) return focus strategy. Sheep farmers in Cornwall adopt the following two marketing strategies: (a) differentiation strategy and (b) production-orientation strategy; while tile dairy cow Cornish fan-ners adopt tile following three marketing strategies: (a) opportunistic strategy, (b) return focus strategy and (c) market orientation strategy.T his study deten-ninedth e factors and the characteristicst hat influence the fanners to adopt a particular marketing strategy. Moreover, marketing channel selection is related to distribution channel utilisation. It also identified the factors included sale price, speed of payment, volurne of livestock and milk production and loyalty that affect tile fanners in EMT11to choosea particular marketing channel. Farmersi n Cornwall are also influenced in their marketing channel selection by welfare issues, marketing cost and convenience. Finally, implications of these findings for agencies and organisations seeking to Increase tile regional GDP derived from the agrifood sector in these regions, were identified.

Date of Award	2007
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Plymouth