Identifying the marketing challenges of agricultural entrepreneurs in Kermanshah Township

One of the major factors that caused the failure and lack of survival of entrepreneurs was insufficiency of marketing system. The importance of identification of market structure and marketing to the extent that it can be as important as the product. So that in the world today due to the problem of demand for products, without identify and ensure the existence of market for a product or service, production will be no mean. Therefore, marketing operations their own showed since the decision to produce and in other words market, place the crystallization of all the activities of an entrepreneur to receive benefits from the production. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the challenges of marketing of agricultural entrepreneurs in the Kermanshah Township. This study was conducted using qualitative methods.The studied populations included were agricultural entrepreneurs in Kermanshah Township that for at least two consecutive years served. To selection of Participants in this section was used to purposive sampling method of the type of sampling to achieve representativeness or comparability. The sampling to achieve comparability and representativeness used by the researchers is that their goal is to gain sample which was represents a broader group of samples and to the extent possible to close it, or are looking for a comparison between different groups. This type of sampling includes 6 methods which in this section with respect to the purpose of study of homogeneous samples were used. This method includes selecting people of sub-culture or people who have many common characteristics. When a particular group is examined, For example, when interviewed with experts, this method is used. A total of 18 interviews with agricultural entrepreneurs, data saturation were achieved. To collect data from semi-structured interviews were used. Interviews lasted approximately 45 to 60 minutes. The data collection continues until the researcher to ensure that the data continue to gathering does not changes in obtained categories and the characteristics of each category is completely determined and with the entry of new data to study do not happen changes in the categories and characteristics, and so called to have reached data saturation. To validate were used of strategies such as the review of participants and review of partners. To assess participants reviewing in addition to restore speech and his experience during the interview, the full text of codes and categories available to one of partners and their views in correction or confirm was used. Also in connection with the approval of the process to attempt that all the activities accurately record. To comply with ethical conditions while creating an intimate atmosphere in the group was trying to make their satisfaction to participate in the group.Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. Qualitative content analysis is specialized way in processing scientific data which to determine existence given words and concepts in the text are used to summarize described and interpreted the data. After each interview, the texts were extracted of tape and written on paper. Texts of interviews after reviewing several times carefully by the researcher, to coding system used to produce the first category were analyzed. For this purpose, interviews were divided into meaning units, which are then summarized and were converted to codes. Different codes according to their similarities and differences compared to that category were classified. After analyzing the results, the three main categories of barriers to political, economic, technical and agricultural were identified as the most important challenges of marketing for agricultural entrepreneurs. One of the major categories was political barriers. This main category allocated for 33% of codes.Government policies in the field of market were fundamental issues to the proper functioning of the market. This main category has three sub-category pricing system weakness, poor infrastructure and inadequate information system of the market.Economic problems, including fundamental issues that the majority of agricultural entrepreneurs in to enter market and marketing of their products faced them. This main category was of the most controversial issues among the participants so that the greatest number of codes 236 (3/49 percent) allocated to themselves. This category has four sub-categories include lack of infrastructure, vulnerable crops, lack of credit and adequacy capital and quality of the products. Category of technical barriers with the sub-categories Lack of understanding of customer and lack of marketing skills of the entrepreneur was the third challenge that Participants considered effective deal with it on the success of their business. Technical barriers, 85 (17.7%) of codes were allocated to itself. Analysis of the results of the interviews suggest that the lack of understanding of customers including agricultural problems that entrepreneurs are faced in marketing their products.