Assessing competitiveness of agricultural cooperatives

Hrabrin Bachev

Abstract: This paper assesses the level of competitiveness of agricultural cooperatives in Bulgaria in the conditions of EU CAP implementation. First, competitiveness is defined and a framework for its assessment is presented. The later takes into account production and governance efficiency of individual cooperative; cooperative’s potential for adaptation to market, institutional and natural environment; and level of cooperative sustainability. Second, it analyzes the levels and factors of competitiveness of cooperatives in general and with different specialization type. Next, an analysis is made on diverse aspects of the cooperatives competitiveness.Finally, adequacy of the suggested framework for evaluation of cooperatives competitiveness is assessed. The study is based on a representative survey, carried out in the summer of 2010, and covering 5% of the agricultural cooperatives from all regions of the country.

Keywords: adaptability; agricultural cooperatives; Bulgaria; competitiveness; efficiency; EU CAP; sustainability

Date published: 2018-01-29