Marketing Strategies and Performance of Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union in Sheema District, Uganda

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of marketing strategies of Ankole Coffee Producers Cooperative Union’s coffee cooperatives in Sheema District on their performance. Despite the recognized importance of marketing strategies in enhancing the performance of agricultural cooperatives, there remains a paucity of empirical research specifically focused on the coffee cooperatives in Sheema District, Uganda. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design. Using Krejcie & Morgan’s (1970) table for determining the sample size for the quantitative data, which is focused at measuring performance of ACPCU in this study, was 104 respondents. Given the nature of the research objectives and research questions, inferential statistics were used. The results indicated that effectiveness of promotion of marketing activities of the primary coffee cooperatives constituting ACPCU, promotion of marketing information of the primary coffee cooperatives constituting ACPCU and promotion of marketing infrastructure development of the primary coffee cooperatives constituting ACPCU have a significant positive relationship with their performance. Implying that a positive change in any of the independent variables is associated with a positive change in performance. Finally the regression results indicate that 75.7% (Adjusted R Square=.757) of the variations in performance is explained by independent variables under the study. To capitalize on the relationship between promotion of marketing infrastructure development and the performance of the primary coffee cooperatives constituting ACPCU, ACPCU should prioritize investments in upgrading and optimizing its marketing infrastructure including technology platforms, communication channels, and collaboration tools. By fostering a seamless and efficient marketing environment, the organization can streamline processes, reduce operational bottlenecks, and enhance overall performance of the primary coffee cooperatives constituting ACPCU.