No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1990. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-85). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Canterbury, 2005. / Typescript (photocopy). "June 2005." Includes bibliographical references (p. 156-167). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Typescript, etc.

The tree fruits industry in British Columbia distributes its products in both fresh and processed forms. The processed fruit industry, through Sun-Rype Products Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of B.C. Tree Fruits Limited, is an important and profitable part of the tree fruits industry in British Columbia. Expansion of this industry, however, depends upon finding new market opportunities. The purpose of this paper was to gather information on the size and characteristics of the British Columbian institutional market for frozen fruit-based desserts. Such an investigation appeared essential given the facts that the number of processed fruit products were very limited and institutions were increasing both their share of the food dollar and their consumption of frozen foods. Obtaining the necessary information involved the collecting of all relevant published data as well as the conducting of personal interviews. The published data were limited but did provide both a general background on the institutions' food requirements and statistics on gross sales. To break these gross statistics down into more meaningful potential dessert sales required interviewing several Greater Vancouver institutions. These interviews provided data on various food costs and more detailed information on dessert requirements. The results of the investigation indicated that the demand of the British Columbian institutional market for frozen fruit-based desserts was not large but the costs of producing, marketing, and shipping such desserts would also have to be examined before a final decision to enter or not to enter the market was made. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

Outsourcing in the cold supply chain can assist the fresh fruit industry to attain competitive advantage through its role in cost reductions and customer service enhancement. The South African fruit industry depends mainly on export markets to earn revenue. It should thus be reckon that the South African fresh fruit travel long distances to reach these markets as South Africa is remotely situated from its major markets. However, the products have to be in good quality on arrival, and also be on time. The challenge therefore is for the fresh fruit industry to ensure that the cold supply chain is maintained through to international destinations. The primary objective of the dissertation is to perform an analysis of the cold supply chain of the South African avocado for export – ‘charter the movement of the South African avocado from production areas to international markets, paying special attention to the outsourcing possibilities in the cold supply chain’. In order to fulfill this purpose, the study covers the following main aspects: • Developments in the fruit industry focusing specifically on the avocado fresh fruit industry. • Detailed analysis of the cold supply chain and costs associated with operating and managing the chain. • Outsourcing as a strategy for achieving the cold supply chain competitive advantage: assisting the avocado industry to compete effectively with other supplying countries. The dissertation has outlined a number of strategies relevant to deal with the challenges of cold supply chain, such strategies concern themselves with delivering the right product at the right time to the right customer at the right condition and at the right price. It is evident from the discussions in the study that the South African avocado supply chain is long, complex and involves interaction of various processes and role-players. The post-harvest cold supply chain processes involves temperature controlled storage and transportation. Every link in the supply chain must be analysed to identify weaknesses, as there should be no breakage in the chain so that quality of fruit is not compromised and profitability is achieved. Currently storage and transportation are outsourced to a number of service providers. As far as the chain is concerned there are minimal problems regarding temperature management in the chain. Few avocado fruits have in the past failed PPECB quality tests for export. The main challenge (amongst others) that the avocado chain is facing is effective information sharing to ensure a coordinated and well-aligned supply chain that will play a role in reducing costs and enhancing customer service. Lack of, for example accurate crop harvest estimate information and real-time communication and information sharing creates problems for the supply chain to function as a single entity with shared objectives. Based on the above, a number of conclusions about, and recommendations for, outsourcing in the cold supply chain of South African avocado for export are made, a summary of which is provided by the following statements: • A reliable relationship is important for both producers and service providers • Joint responsibility: farmers should play their part in the cold supply chain management • Ensuring cold supply chain best practices • Creation of supply chain vision • Ensuring of supply chain visibility • Adoption of total cost approach • Integrating and coordinating the supply chain Charting the movement of the South African avocados from production areas to international markets requires that short, medium and long-term decisions about outsourcing be thoroughly made. / Prof. J.H. Du Plessis

No description available.

In an economy characteristics by keen competition among commodities for consumers' disposable income, the per capita demand for a product may shift over a period of time. With a decline in demand (a shift to the left of the demand curve) for a commodity, the total consumption may be less than in previous years even with an expanding population. In the past four decades the trend in per capita consumption of apples has been downward. This downward trend is evident when the per capita rates of apple consumption are compared for various time periods during these years. In fact, the trend in per capita consumption of apples has been steadily downward from 1909 to 1953 as shown by the averages for each five-year period beginning with 1909¹. The trend in total yearly consumption of apples in the United States has likewise been downward. However, this decline has been less pronounced than per capita consumption declines because of the counteracting influence of population increases in this country. Shifts in demand for a commodity create economic problems in both production and marketing. These problems are especially acute for products such as apples, which require large fixed investments of capital for production and handling. Apple production initially requires large outlays of capital for land, labor, and nursery stock. It is approximately eight years before an apple tree is brought into production and the orchardist begins to realize a return on his investment. During these formative years, and more especially in later years, the land planted in trees is not easily and readily shifted into production of other commodities. Likewise, the special equipment and storage facilities necessary for efficient marketing of apples represent a sizable investment of capital of a specialized nature that is not easily and readily adaptable for other uses. In order to make production and marketing decisions that are economically sound, people in the apple industry need adequate information on changes in consumer reactions to apples. To be adequate, this information must not only reflect the changes in the movement of apples moving into consumption, but must also provide information concerning the effectiveness of current merchandising practices on apple sales. The best source of this information is the market place where consumer preferences are registered. / Master of Science

Thesis (MScAgric)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African deciduous fruit industry is influenced by a number of factors including increased globalisation of markets, trade liberalisation, advances in information technology and consumer preferences. These factors have a continuous effect on the competitiveness of the industry and force deciduous fruit producers and processors to position themselves as capable competitors in the global free-market environment. This study measures the competitiveness of the South African deciduous fruit supply chains relative to those of Chile in an attempt to address the following research question: What is the relative global competitive advantage of the South African deciduous fruit supply chains relative to those of Chile? To adequately address this research question, data from the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO, 2005) is used to examine the competitiveness of the supply chains. Three internationally recognised indexes are also used to calculate the comparative and competitive advantages of the deciduous fruit supply chains, namely, the Net Export index (NXi), Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA#) index and the Relative Revealed Comparative Trade Advantage (RTA) index. The results clearly show that South Africa’s deciduous fruit supply chains have a marginally relative competitive advantage, with most of the deciduous fruit products having RCA# and RTA index values situated around 0 to 10. The analysis shows that the South African deciduous fruit industry is struggling, with a marginal global comparative and competitive advantage in terms of its value added products. Chile, on the other hand, has a relatively better revealed comparative advantage as well as a higher relative global competitive advantage in most of the deciduous fruit supply chains. South Africa has a relatively better global comparative advantage and competitive advantage over Chile only in apple juice and dried apricots. Despite South Africa’s marginal competitiveness, most of the deciduous fruit supply chains are experiencing an upward competitiveness, which is not the case for Chile. The results also reveal that the competitiveness of most of the deciduous fruit supply chains in South Africa, except for the apple and apricot chains, decreases from primary to processed products which implies that value-adding opportunities are still limited or untapped. On the basis of these findings, this study makes an attempt to identify and discuss some of the factors that affect the competitiveness of the industry by using a framework of competitive advantage analysis proposed by Porter (1990, 1998). The most important factors that impact on the competitiveness of the South African deciduous fruit industry are availability of skilled labour; cost and quality of unskilled labour; availability and quality of capital; cost of technology; local market growth; threat of substitutes; land reform policy; labour legislation; current exchange rate (current strength of the rand); BEE policy; lack of timely and accurate information and the inaccuracy of some of the data of the Perishable Products Export Council Board (PPECB); continued agricultural subsidies received by growers in countries competing with South Africa in global markets; and the high incidence of HIV/AIDS and crime. In order for the industry to enhance its competitiveness, a number of strategies to be adopted by all participants in the supply chain are suggested at the end of this study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid Afrikaanse sagtevrugte bedryf word beïnvloed deur verskeie faktore insluitende groter wordende internasionale market, handels liberalisering, vooruitgang in inligtings tegnologie en verbruikers voorkeure. Hierdie faktore het ‘n voordurende effek op die mededingendheid van die bedryf en dwing die sagtevrugte produsente en produseerders om hulself te posisioneer as bekwame mededingers in die internasionale mark omgewing. Hierdie study meet die mededingendheid van die Suid Afrikaanse sagtevrugte voorsieningsketting relatief tot die van Chili in ‘n poging om die volgende navorsingsvraag te beantwoord: Wat is die relatiewe internasionale mededingende voordeel van die Suid Afrikaanse sagtevrugte voorsieningsketting relatief tot die van Chili. Om die navorsingsvraag na behore te beantwoord word inligting van die Voedsel en Landou Organisasie (Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO) van die Verenigde Nasies van 2005 gebruik om die mededingendheid van die voorsieningskettings te verduidelik. Drie internasionaal erkende indekse word gebruik om die vergelykende en mededingende voordele van die sagtevrugte bedryf voorsieningskettings te vergelyk naamlik die Netto Uitvoer indeks (NU), Openbare Vergelykende Voordeel (OVV) indeks en die Relatiewe Openbare Vergelykende Handels Voordeel (ROVHV) indeks. Die resultate wys duidelik dat Soud Afrika se sagtevrugte voorsieningsketting ‘n relatief marginale kompeteerdende voordeel het, met meestse van die sagtevrugte produkte met OVV en ROVHV indeks waardes van tussen 0 en 10 het. Die ontleedings toon aan dat die Suid Afrikaanse sagtevrugte bedryf dit moeilik vind met om internasionall mededingend te wees met slegs ‘n maginale internasionale vergelykende en mededingende voordeel in terme van waarde toegevoegde produkte. Anders as Suid Afrika het Chili ‘n relatief beter openbare vergelykende voordeel as ook ‘n beter relatiewe internasionale vergelykende voordeel in meeste van die sagtevrugte voordieningskettings as Suid Afrika. Suid Afrika het slegs relatiewe beter internasionale en mededingende voordele in appelsap en gedroogde appelkose as Chili. Ongeag Suid Afrika se marginale mededingendheid ondervind meeste van die voordieningskettings opwaartse mededinging wat die die geval is met Chili nie. Die resultate het ook gewys dat die mededingendheid van meeste van die sagtevrugte voorsieningskettings in Suid Afrika afneem van primere na vervaardigde produkte, behalwe vir die appel en appelkoos waardekettings, wat impliseer dat waardetoevoeging moontlikhede steeds baie beperk is of nog nooit ontgin is nie. Op basis van die bevindinge is ‘n poging aangewend om sommige van die faktore wat die mededingendheid van die bedryf affekteer te identifiseer en te bespreek deur gebruik te maak van die raamwerk van mededingende voordeel ontleedings soos voorgestel deur Porter (1990, 1998). Die mees belangrike faktore wat ‘n inpak het op die mededingendheid van die van die bedryf is die beskikbaarheid van opgeleide arbeid; die koste en kwaliteit van onopgeleide aerbeid; beskikbaarheid en kwaliteit van kapitaal; koste van tegnologie; groei in plaaslike mark; gevaar van substitute; grondhervormings beleid; arbeids wetsgewing; huidige wisselkoers (huidige sterkte van die Rand); swart bemagtigings beleid; tekort aan tydige en akkurate inligting en die onakkuraatheid van sommige data van die Bederfbare Produkte Uitvoer Raad; landbou subsidies aan produsente in lande waarmee Suid Afrika internasionaal meeding en die hoë voorvalle van HIV/AIDS en misdaad. Om mededingendheid binne die berdyf te verbeter word verskeie strategie voorgestel wat rolspelers in die bedryf kan implementer.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Yale University, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 356-378).