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Abstract:
The study was conducted to characterize and evaluate the different demographic characteristics and marketing strategies in relation to 7Ps of 354 fruit growers (i.e. babana, durian, lanzones, mangostene and rambutan) at Victoria, Oriental Mindoro, Phililippines using stratified random sampling. All data was analyzed using descriptive-correlation and descriptive-comparative methods. Majority of fruit growers are on the middle age group, more males and married individuals, and did not finish primary education. Fruit growers usually owned, managed and supervised 1-2 ha of land, had the most number of lanzones trees in their orchards, grow fruits within 5 to 10 years, commonly use grafting as a planting method to enhance high quality and quantity of production, and prefer to pack enormous fruit products as one of their post-harvest practices in fruit growing. Fruit growers employ diverse extent of marketing strategies related to the product, price, promotion, place, public, physical evidence and process. They allow consumers to taste their fruit products, prefer prices on their products which are very affordable and suitable to the consuming public. In addition, fruit growers feel that they made good and right decision for the consumers with regards on their purchasing power. However, they believe that they spent too much money on transporting and delivering their fruit products in the target place. The consuming public are more aware on the nature of the fruit business by the fruit growers. In relation to facilities, fruit growers maintain their facilities and equipment on harvesting their fruit products and always inspect if there is an unwanted surplus and damage on their fruit products. In general, results showed significant correlation between the different fruit growers profile and the extent of marketing strategies of fruit growers in relation to the 7Ps as indicators. Results revealed that product had the highest correlation (P<0.05; r=0.95) on the innovation used by fruit growers while absence of correlation was observed between product, gender and years in growing fruits. On the other hand, promotion indicates a significant and high correlation (P<0.01; r=0.91) on the farm size while no correlation on the civil status of the fruit growers. Price had a highly significant correlation (P<0.01) to the educational attainment (r=0.99) and type of fruit products produced and marketed by fruit growers (r=0.96). Place has significant and high correlation (P<0.01) on the type of fruit products produced and marketed by fruit growers (r=0.88) and their age (r=0.86). Public indicates a high correlation (P<0.01) on the civil status of the fruit growers (r=0.86) and age (r=0.83). Physical evidence showed a moderate to high correlation (P<0.01) to the years in growing fruit products by the growers while process shows a highly significant (P<0.01) and high correlation to the fruit growers gender. Findings provide further evidence that the mechanisms which the extent of marketing strategies using the 7Ps as indicators have a great influence on the fruit grower's profile and vice versa. Results revealed that there is a significant difference between the product and public; product and physical evidence; product and process; promotion and public; promotion and physical evidence; price and place; price and public; price and physical evidence; place and public; and place and physical evidence (P<0.05) while the rest mean differences showed not significant differences (P>0.05). Findings suggest that the extent of marketing strategies of fruit growers which is offered to the consumers in the market were very diverse
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