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Short Schedule Farm/Company

Name: : Farm “Lielvaiceni” Web site: in the process www.lielvaiceni.lv E-mail: lielvaiceni@inbox.lv

Place

Country: Latvia Region: Auce municipality City: Vītiņi Parish

Product Type Beekeeping and Plant Production

Farm visit date 23.03.2010.

3.3. Farm LIELVAICENI

Pilot seminar leader prepares PILOTING REPORT consisting of 2 parts:

Part A: pilot seminar leaders’ report on farm visit;

Activity Description Part B: summarized information / data

from participants’ questionnaires.

Part A. Report on farm visit

1. Main areas of interest in marketing of the pilot seminar participants.

The honey production process, possibilities of selling and distribution of bee products. A few students were interested in seeing the agricultural machinery park.

2. Success elements in the farm from the point of marketing.

The farm owner has a extensive (about18 years) work experience. He is actively involved in social activities and is a member of several local and international organizations. The farmer is able to communicate in good English. Farmer is an open person and was able to create a welcoming atmosphere during the visit of pupils from vocational schools and students.

3. Recognized problems in marketing. Controlling institution pointed out that product labels must be changed

and re-printed in order to correspond with the changes in territorial names resulting from the regional reform and EU regulations.

Farmer is willing to expand the business – initiate alcoholic beverage production from honey water, yet there are legislative problems impeding the realization of this idea.

4. Proposed recommendations for farm’s marketing development.

Name of the visited farm: Farm “Lielvaicēni”, Vītiņi Parish, Auce County Number of participants: 34 Country: LATVIA Date: 23.03.2010.

1. Respondents’ occupation Respondents’ age:

2 - Farmer; 31- 16-21 years; 31 - Student; 1- 22-35 years; 1 - Other 2 - more than 36 years; (Other, namely...) - Beekeeper Taxpayer- YES

Farmer has successfully developed trade channels and marketing strategy of his farm. Maintaining the developed strategy will serve for enhancement of international perspectives. The farm homepage requires professional visual and functional improvements, and perhaps a possibility for customers to purchase Lielvaiceni products online.

5. Other comments.

Would like to express gratitude to the farm owner, who spent a half of the day joining “Proud Farmer” piloting workshop activities and initiated interesting and useful discussions with students from Priekuli Agricultural Vocational School.

Part B. SUMMARY of farm visitors’ questionnaires

2. What was the respondent’s goal in attending the pilot seminar?

· My goal was to explore the possibilities of Latvian companies to compete in the

European market. · Learn more about the holding and promotion plans (5 respondents) · See how other people manage their farm and compare it with the activities in my farm. · Learn something new about this type of farming (2 respondents). · Get answers to the questions I am interested in (2 respondents). · Learn about the farm's activities.

· Learn how to manage beekeeping business in Latvia (2 respondents). · Compare the farm with other farms. · Learn of the means, which ensure the extraction of high-quality honey. · Acquire additional knowledge on the topic (2 respondents). · Learn more about the particular farm (4 respondents).

· Visit the farm (4 respondents). · Get acquainted with the production process and other activities in the farm (3

respondents). · My goal was to find out more about farming. · Gain new marketing ideas; learn of methods used in Lielvaiceni farm- their

experience. Learn more about beekeeping (11 respondents).

· Learn more about the Latvian largest beekeeping farmer / farm (3 respondents). · Learn about everyday problems farmers meet with during the production and marketing process (2 respondents). · See how the beekeeper works and learn about the realization possibilities of bee

products. · I believe that this visit will be very interesting and educational. · I had no information about this seminar, but after being informed by the Farmers

Parliament, I joined in as I found it useful and worth-visiting.

3. Have the respondents achieved their aim/objectives during the pilot seminar?

Yes - 32 respondents:

I learned more about beekeeping. I enjoyed the farm visit very much. It visited the beekeeper’s farm and learned about the beekeeping and farm’s

development. The visit was organized at a good level, I learned about the necessary preconditions to

start a beekeeping business and to develop it successfully. It was nice to spend time with colleagues in an educational atmosphere..

No -2 respondents

If so, please, describe why?

I didn’t get information about how they manage their own fields, but I learned about beekeeping and problems, as well as, the benefits of dealing with beekeeping.

I don’t know whether a meeting can be called a workshop. Partly reached the 2nd objective of the visit - to learn of Lielvaicēni experience of organizing the farm’s activity.

4. Have the respondents gained new knowledge on marketing management? Please, provide comments…

Yes No Difficult to say 28 1 5

Yes- 28 An interesting approach to selling honey and its products in the market. I learned a lot. The visit was very-well structured. This was a very educational

tour (2 respondents). It was good. The owner could give more specific details about the production and

sale rates. Everything was "cool". Very interesting! I could understand how the farm

runs. Useful information. The farmer’s activity is directed towards paying back the bank

loan.

No -1 Holding a meeting cannot be called a workshop. Partly achieved the objective - to

learn of Lielvaiceni experience of organizing the farm’s activity. Difficult to say -5 · I think that I know enough. Perhaps I have gained some new knowledge in

marketing.

Your comment _____-______ 5. What new, useful revelations in marketing did you gain during the visit? 6. Please, arrange by the significance the most and the least important activities you experienced in this pilot seminar (1-most significant ...4 –least significant)?

· Marketing is very complicated. · I learned that the beekeeping industry is very interesting and also complicated.

I learned that the farm is able to produce all the necessary things for further activity and development. I learned, however, that beekeeping is not as easy job and it is not so easy to start a new business. Learned more about the policy of supermarket chains towards the Latvian agricultural products.

· I learned how to start such a business. Was surprised by the fact that most of their products are sold abroad.

· That there are moments when it is possible to raise price, taking into account all advantages and disadvantages. Gained knowledge about the beekeeping in Latvia, it is not very profitable. Got introduced with the marketing strategy of the particular beekeeping farm. Everything produced or grown can be marketed and sold to other countries. A successful businessman must be highly competent in all areas. I learned more about beekeeping. Smaller companies if well-marketed can be successful abroad. Learned about the methods of obtaining honey. Learned nothing much.

· Learned of product marketing methods to sell them abroad. · The support for bee-keeping is necessary from other institutions, such as the European Union.

I learned the specifics of this business and how to start it. · It is difficult for third world countries to run a business as they meet with severe competition.

If the farm produces a wide range of products then it is easier to exist, because if one type of product is not profitable at the moment then some other may become a top product and the farm does not suffer.

· I've learned quite a lot about marketing opportunities of bee products. · I learned how to manage a farm. · I discovered that Lielvaiceni is a popular Latvian beekeeping farm and its products are sold in

Estonia for higher price. I learned how to start a similar business. Learned about the fact that many farmers sell their products to other countries, but foreigners distribute them further under their brand’s name.

Possibility to acquire new ideas/recognitions in marketing

60

Possibility to acquire new practical skills 72 Possibility to find new contacts with people working in this field

90

Possibility to spend the time with colleagues in the pilot seminar

101

Significance of activities in "Lielvaiceni" 16 No. of respondents most significant

significant 14

less significant

0

2

4

6

8

10

12 no significance

Possibility to acquire Possibility to acquire Possibility to acquire Possibility to spend new practical skills new ideas new contacts with the time with

people working in therecognitions in the colleagues in

marketing field the pilot seminar

7. Please, could you give evaluation of the pilot seminar quality?

Evaluation of the quality of pilot seminar in "Laivaiceni"

Very good

8. Other comments, suggestions, refrences

Final conclusions: Participants were satisfied with the visiting of good practice farm “Lielvaicēni” and obtained new information about the farmers’ marketing activities and strategies.

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5

10

15

20

25

30

The selection of the farm

Performance of the teachers

Organization of the pilot seminar

WB 1 WB 2 WB 3

No.of answers Good Average Poor

· Make products produced in Latvia more attractive to foreign markets, · The similar seminars could be held more frequently. · Organizing other study tours. · Very responsive hosts. · To give demonstrations of production techniques and let students to try out

themselves, · More practical approaches, allowing students to use practically the technologies. · More interesting to choose a larger enterprise. More detailed presentation of their

equipment, machinery park would be more interesting. · Everything was good. · In my opinion, everything was good enough. · Everything, was fine. · Thanks for the interesting visit. · In the future I would like to go abroad and learn of the experience of foreign

farmers. · More such events -they help to better learn about agriculture. · Should send students into practice and let them directly learn from the farmer. · The quality of the seminar and offered information on marketing would be

appropriate for students or people who are not employed in the business.