The potential level of innovation activity of agricultural cooperatives in Bulgaria

Angel Sarov

Abstract: The successful cooperatives contribute to territorial social cohesion between the people and the development of entrepreneurial and innovative activities. Because of the dynamic changes in the environment agricultural cooperatives need to use innovative approaches and management skills. An important factor for achieving high of competitiveness of farms is also good management of their innovation activities. The purpose of this paper is to trace attitudes to innovation activity of agricultural cooperatives in Bulgaria. This study is part of a major inquiry into Project “Management innovation in agriculture” (2013-2014) at the Institute of Agricultural Economics, headed by assoc. Dr. D. Nikolov. Surveys of farms in 2013 by means of the NAAS. It covers 28 districts of the country; respondents were 333 agricultural farms, of which 37 chairmen of agricultural cooperatives. Attached are basically two types of potential innovative research activities of agricultural cooperatives. The first place unit is determined on the basis of potential innovation different types of innovation. It has been used a method of a weighted average value. Then the unit was investigated potential innovation activity based on agricultural cooperative. On the analysis are shown below, namely: innovation information and potential innovation activity of agricultural cooperatives in Bulgaria have a coefficient of average level. Primarily machinery, equipment and appliances shall be identified with the concept of “innovation”, which is due mainly the grain specialization of the cooperative firms. Economic factors that have in most significant influence on the motivation for innovation. Environmental protection is not a motivating factor for agricultural cooperatives innovation in agriculture.

Keywords: agricultural cooperatives; innovation; innovation activity; motivation

Date published: 2017-10-03