DEVELOPMENT OF THE MARKETING STRATEGY OF AGRICULTURAL SECTOR ENTERPRISES ON THE GRAIN MARKETS OF UKRAINE AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Authors: Zhofan In , Pashchenko Oksana , Zharikova Olena 
Published: April 2023

The article examines and substantiates the development of marketing strategies of agricultural sector enterprises on the grain markets of Ukraine and the People's Republic of China. In the grain economy of Ukraine, there is an increase in production volumes from 70.06 million tons in 2018 to 84 million tons in 2021, and this gave it the opportunity to become one of the powerful producers and exporters of grain crops in the world grain market. This was facilitated by: improvement of grain cultivation technologies, grain processing, drying and fumigation systems, creation of modern micro-irrigation systems, implementation of integrated plant protection and nutrition systems in response to climate change, constant improvement of elevator capacities, improvement of the grain storage system.

The Chinese market is interesting for Ukrainian exporters. It is the most promising, both from the point of view of economic potential, and from the possibility of increasing the volume of domestic grain supply. After all, the People's Republic of China is a billion-dollar consumer market, taking into account world trade statistics, the main trading partner of many developed countries. This country is among the top ten economies in the world, ranks third in terms of absolute growth and is among the top five importers of domestic agricultural products.

The issue of the development of the marketing strategy of agricultural enterprises was studied by prominent domestic and foreign scientists, including: A. Oliynyk, Yu. Turgelya, Yu. Sokolovska, O. Yerankin, R. Logosha, T. Marusei T., N. Murtazina and others. The formation of marketing strategies for increasing the competitiveness of enterprises was studied by: L. Balabanova, V. Gerasimchuk, O. Zozulyova, Yu. Ivanova, O. Kanishchenko, V. Kardash, N. Kudenko, A. Starostina, O. Tyshchenko and others. J. Bisena, R. Kumar, J. Beckman, J. Sheth, J. Zabel investigated the issues of agricultural marketing, electronic agricultural market, and state participation in ensuring the sustainable development of agricultural production.

The main methods and information base of the research are: materials of periodicals, works of scientists, Internet sources, statistical information (FAOSTAT, Worldbank), obtaining information through an expert interview (in online format, using modern means of video communication), sample research respondents (30 real interviews, including 12 interviews from Ukraine and 18 from China), scientific and methodical literature. The research also used econometric and economic-statistical research methods (score method, SWOT analysis method, visualization methods, including the method of graphical data interpretation). All calculations provided in this study were carried out using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software. The use of this software significantly increases the possibilities of practical application of the proposed strategies, since a significant number of farms do not have the opportunity to attract a full-time marketer and purchase specialized software, while the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet is one of the most widespread tools for processing tabular information.

The purpose of the study is to study the peculiarities of the formation of the marketing strategy of agricultural sector enterprises on the grain markets of Ukraine and the People's Republic of China. Achieving this goal is possible through the consistent solution of scientific tasks: to systematize the experience of previous research through the analysis of theoretical sources; develop a methodological research design; determine information bases, choose appropriate tools; to carry out an approbation study on the example of enterprises in the agrarian sector of the grain market of the People's Republic of China and Ukraine; to develop basic variants of the marketing strategy of agricultural enterprises in the studied markets.

Recently, the global economy has seen an increase in trade between countries, which increases business profitability and satisfies consumer needs for necessary goods and services. After all, international trade contributes to the economic development of countries, expands their opportunities to create and place added value on a much larger foreign market thanks to joining global supply chains.

The grain economy of Ukraine is a strategic and most effective branch of the national economy. Grain and its processing products are always liquid and form the basis of the country's food security, which greatly increases the importance of effective marketing strategies of producers during the threat of a global food disaster.

The Chinese market is interesting for Ukrainian exporters. It is the most promising, both from the point of view of economic potential, and from the possibility of increasing the volume of domestic grain supply. China is a billion-dollar consumer market.

The achievement of marketing strategies of agricultural sector enterprises on the grain markets of Ukraine and the People's Republic of China took place through the development and implementation of a complex multi-stage research project that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. On the basis of econometric and economic-statistical research methods, mathematical models of the dynamics of grain production in Ukraine and the People's Republic of China were developed, while the approximation reliability values for each series indicate a very high correspondence of the obtained models.

Taking into account the impact of a strong negative factor, which is not reflected in statistical data, on the agriculture of Ukraine, in order to take into account the latest challenges of the external environment, a differentiated SWOT analysis was conducted using the expert interview method to assess the main threats and opportunities, strengths and weaknesses of the grain industry of Ukraine.

The results of the analysis showed that the following strategies should be recognized as the most acceptable strategies in modern Ukrainian realities according to the results of the analysis: a strategy of cooperation, which will allow to more effectively solve those problems that are in the area of influence of the enterprise; a cost minimization strategy or a survival strategy, the purpose of which is to preserve the existing production potential until more favorable business conditions; geographic strategy diversification based on the territorial transfer of grain production to safer central and western regions; however, the latter strategy is impossible for farms without an additional state program to diversify the grain industry.

According to the results of the survey of experts of the grain market of the PRC, it was established that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in November-December 2022 did not have a significant impact on the economy of the grain market, therefore, the marketing strategy of balanced development and the strategy of intelligent marketing should be considered the most promising for agricultural enterprises of the PRC involves obtaining additional benefits through the implementation of modern digital innovations