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Agribusiness Competitiveness Enhancement - n/a Enterprise & Agriculture Croatia 2003 - 2003 USAID |
Giving Farmers a Competitive Advantage
RATIONALEThe Agribusiness Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project provides a program of integrated technical assistance to Croatian agricultural producers, agribusiness processors, wholesalers, and retail marketing firms that enable them to seize market opportunities and increase their domestic production and sales on a competitive basis. ACE assists these private agribusiness companies and business cooperatives by identifying markets where existing and new agribusiness products can be sold and develops strategies by which Croatian companies can take advantage of these opportunities. The rapid growth of supermarkets has displaced small grocery stores in many developing countries. Croatia has been a part of this trend. Since 1997 several major Western European supermarket food chains have started business in Zagreb and other major cities and at least two large Croatian owned supermarket chains have been established. As a result, consumers are being given more competitive choices in quality and price for a larger variety of food products than ever before. Because these national and international companies compete on price as well as quality local producers struggle to by competitive. In the pig-meat sector, maintaining product quality and price competitiveness are the primary concerns. Increasing producer competitiveness by reducing producer cost, increasing product quality and improving market options and linkages is critical to survival of the Croatian small farmer commercial swine sector and is an important ACE Project objective.
OBJECTIVES
Evaluate current production and marketing practices of small farmers and make recommendations to reduce costs and increase product quality. Work with ACE partners to develop a marketing strategy that will enhance the competitiveness of local producers.
ACTIVITIES
This consultancy will provide guidance to ACE and to swine sector partners for further expanding the ACE technical assistance program. Results will expand understanding of available options for improving marketing opportunities for pork products as part of the overall goal of improving sector competitiveness.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Winrock consultant, Dr. Greg Sullivan, completed the project successfully during October-November 2003.