Marketing problems and export of date trading varieties in the I.R. of Iran
R. Rahmani
ISHS Acta Horticulturae 736:557-562. 2007.
2007
บทคัดย่อ
Marketing problems and export of date trading varieties in the I.R. of Iran
In this study marketing of date trading varieties was investigated in Khuzestan, Fars, Hormozgan and Bushehr provinces as they are the main areas of date production in Iran. Subjects concerning the marketing of dates and common marketing services were investigated. Marketing margin function was estimated using Mark-Up and Relative Margin models. The effects of socio–economic factors on revenue price of producers was evaluated. The export situation and problems of exporters were investigated. Required data were gathered in two forms: documental in the form of official statistics and a survey through stratified random sampling method during the year 1999-2000. Date varieties were Sayer (Khuzestan), Shahani (Fars), Peyaram (Hormozgan) and Kabkab (Bushehr). Results showed that for each kg of internal consumption of Sayer, Shahani, Peyaram and Kabkab, 300, 570, 4000 and 450 Rials were spent on marketing costs and marketing agent’s profit, respectively. For each kg of export Sayer date, 1876.7 Rials were spent on marketing costs and marketing agent’s profit. Results also showed that for internal consumption of Sayer, Shahani, Peyaram and Kabkab date varieties the producer’s share of the retail price were 85, 65.46, 55.5, and 38.23 percent, respectively. The marketing efficiency results showed that price and technical inefficiencies in marketing routes of trading date varieties were high. The results of estimated marketing cost function based on Mark-Up model in Khuzestan and Fars provinces showed that the marketing margin had a direct relationship with retail and export prices, and an inverse relationship with marketing costs. Also, estimated marketing margin function based on relative margin model in Khuzestan province showed that the marketing margin had a direct relationship with retail and export prices, and an inverse relationship with marketing costs and the value of supplied products. The result of investigations into the effect of socioeconomic factors on revenue prices of producers in Khuzestan showed that factors such as age, level of education, level of production and type of buyer had positive effects on revenue price. Experience as a gardener had no significant effect on revenue price of producers. In Hormozgan, factors such as the possibility of warehousing, packing and sorting, originality of garden income and level of production had positive effects on revenue price of the producers. The export difficulties of date were caused mainly by a weakness in technology in the areas of sorting, packing and standardizing, and by high packing costs, lack of suitable transportation, fluctuations in exchange rate, lack of harmony among exporters and destructive competition, lack of information about global markets and not benefiting from opportunities in these markets, the low knowledge level of exporters and little awareness of them with regard to the scientific principles of international marketing and lack of exporters cash.