Within the project entitled “81 Academic Consultants for 81 Cities”, having run since 2014 by TOBB/TEPAV, Mardin City and District Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (Mardin Chamber of Trade and Industry, Kızıltepe Commodity Exchange, Kızıltepe Chamber of Trade and Industry, Nusaybin Commodity Exchange, Nusaybin Chamber of Trade and Industry) collaborated with Mardin Artuklu University and carried out a field research on Mardin MAGROTEX’18 Fair.
The research, which was undertaken via the collaboration with Mardin City/District Chambers /Commodity Exchanges Academic Consultant Assoc. Prof. Mehmet Behzat Ekinci and the contribution of the Economics Department students, have the characteristics of a common research of Mardin City/District Chambers/Commodity Exchanges and Mardin Artuklu University.
The field research aims to put down the facts how the attending firms evaluate the 5th International Mardin Agricultural Equipment, Food and Livestock Fair (MAGROTEX’18) held on April 18-22 2018. The results obtained through the survey will be shared with related persons, institution and public and contribute to improve the overall conditions of the Fair.
10 main questions were answered via the surveys conducted face to face with the 35 attendee firms of the fair, of which 16 from Mardin and 19 from Diyarbakır, Urfa, Antep, Antakya, Adana, Mersin, Antalya and Manisa. The questions are as follows:
1) How many times have you attended the fair?
2) What was the purpose of your participation?
3) Which products did you exhibit during the fair?
4) What were your expectations from the fair, did you meet them?
5) If you have ever attended the fair before, what have the benefits been?
6) Have you had the chance to build any commercial contacts?
7) What type of commercial contacts?
8) Have you had the chance to build any international commercial contacts?
9) What type of international commercial contacts?
10) Did you face any difficulties during the fair?
The answers within the survey were collated and general status was indicated so as to be evaluated. The partial propositions related to the results of the research are as follows:
• Out of all firms, 7 (20%) have attended the fair for the first time and the rest have attended the fair twice or more times. 9 (26%) out of the firms which have attended twice or more times have been attending for four years.
• The firms declared they had participated in the fair in order to exhibit and market their products, introduce their products, provide consultation service to the farmers, inform the farmers on the effective use of agricultural equipment and technologies and for new market search.
• Several of the products exhibited in the fair are as follows: Packaging machines, compressors and their equipment, drip irrigation system, pesticides, seeds (wheat, barley, chickpeas, corn, soy, peanut, vegetables etc. ) vegetable seeding, animal feed, tractor, harvester, agricultural equipment, tractor rims, gluten cleansing device, moisture measurement device, plant feeding products, liquid organic fertilizers, soil regulative products, protein device, automatic valve groups, filtration products, color sifting machine, quality control device, grain storing and transportation products, software products, agricultural loans and tractor loans.
• The firms listed their expectations from the fair as follows: introducing their firms, reaching more clients and exhibiting their products, enhancing the relationship between existing clients, raising the level of awareness by giving more information on their products, protecting the environment by leading the farmers to drip irrigation, informing people about the technological advancements.
• The firms stated that the fair had met their expectations. One of the firms declared that they had seriously more customers that time despite the fact that the number of visitors had been less.
• The firms which had participated in the fair before listed the benefits as follows: they had improved their relationship with their clients for the better, they managed to reach more diverse client profiles and they raised the amount of their sales. Plus, they built reference for prospective sales, they extended their margins of marketing and those added to their brand recognition.
• 26 of the firms (74%) said they’d had the chance to make national contacts. In this manner, the firms mentioned they could obtain new merchandises, received business contacts, widened their client potential, could gain clients outside Mardin, managed important connections among farmers and had the chance to build links with farmers related to projects.
• 11 of the firms (33%) said they had built international commercial contacts. In this manner, firms declared their products had gained the interest of the businessmen from foreign countries. Regarding that, they stressed they built commercial contacts in Iraq and Georgia. One of the firms specifically noted they made a contact on fertilizers.
• With the coordination of The Southeastern Exporters’ Association and the Ministry of Economics, the fair also hosted a commission of Jordanian businessmen. The commission made several commercial negotiations and connections.
• The firms mentioned their difficulties during the fair as well: the participation was low and the space was small. There were problems with parking and restrooms. There were obstacles with illumination and there were electric disruptions. The facilities for disabled were also insufficient.
• Unfortunately, electric disruption is one of the main problems of the region and could not be solved for years. Not only in all sectors and economic activities, but also it had negative effects on firms and visitors during the fair.
As a part of responsibility especially for its members as well as related establishments and the public, the Chambers/Commodity Exchanges of Mardin City and Districts will continue to conduct similar filed searches which include evaluations, detections and economic policy propositions by collaborating with Mardin Artuklu University and other similar institutions.
