In 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture began to launch a pilot project for docking farmers and cooperatives, allocating special funds from farmers’ professional cooperative economic organization construction projects to support fresh agricultural product production cooperatives in setting up direct sales points or stores in urban communities and carrying out fresh food production. Direct sales of live agricultural products. At present, pilot projects for connecting farmers and cooperatives are mainly carried out in 63 large and medium-sized cities in 13 provinces and cities, including Beijing, Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, and Shandong.
When connecting farmers and cooperatives, we must fully understand and give full play to the advantages of this model: First, there is sufficient supply of agricultural products. Cooperatives with strong competitiveness can take the lead in organizing various local cooperatives to supply goods together to ensure sufficient supply and variety. Second, reflect differentiated positioning. The prices of the agricultural products connected by farmers' cooperatives are lower than those in supermarkets, and their quality is better than that of farmers' markets. Third, reduce ineffective losses during transportation. By simplifying market circulation procedures, agricultural products can reach consumers as quickly as possible and achieve point-to-point direct sales. Fourth, you can win support from the government, media and other external parties. Cooperatives that try to connect farmers with cooperatives can win government support through establishing projects, and at the same time, through extensive media publicity, let consumers recognize this sales model. Fifth, the quality of agricultural products is guaranteed. Cooperatives can apply for pollution-free agricultural product certification, green food certification, organic product certification, etc. to demonstrate that the quality of cooperative agricultural products is guaranteed.
Of course, there are also a series of problems in the process of connecting rural cooperatives: First, funding issues. It is reported that opening a rural cooperative docking store in Shandong, a pilot province for rural cooperative docking, requires annual employee wages of 40,000 yuan, rent of 60,000 yuan, decoration of 10,000 yuan, and electronic payment system of 13,000 yuan. The total cost is about 120,000 to 130,000 yuan. between. The second issue is the type of agricultural products. The agricultural products provided by individual farmers' professional cooperatives are often relatively single, and it is necessary to consider forming a federated cooperative to connect farmers. The third is the problem of delivering customer value. In marketing, customer value delivery is a very important content, that is, what kind of value satisfaction do farmers need to provide to customers when engaging in agricultural product marketing? In the case of small differences in agricultural products, how can customers distinguish and recognize the agricultural products connected by farmers' cooperatives? This point needs careful consideration. The fourth is the issue of industrial chain extension. For example, some cooperatives need to extend the processing of agricultural products to meet customer needs, and the extension of the industrial chain of cooperatives needs to face a series of problems.
At present, the “farm-cooperative docking” carried out in various places has various forms and rich contents, including fixed store type and mobile stall type; both traditional marketing type and order distribution type; both There are multiple cooperatives operating jointly, and there are also single cooperatives operating independently. According to product characteristics and organizational forms, they can be divided into the following four main types:
(1) Community vegetable stores (points).
Community vegetable stores (spots) are the most important form of “connection between farmers and cooperatives”. Generally have the following characteristics: ① Mainly sell vegetables, fruits and other fresh agricultural products produced by cooperatives, and some also sell other food materials or kitchen supplies, including grains, oils, eggs, meat, milk and various seasonings; ② Have fixed marketing places , and tend to set up stores around or inside mid- to low-end residential areas, on the principle of being close to consumer groups and making it convenient for residents to buy food; ③ Adopt a business model of small profits but quick turnover, give full play to economies of scale, mainly serve ordinary consumer groups, and satisfy their needs Demand for basic agricultural products such as vegetables, grains and oils.
The main advantages of the community vegetable store (point) model are long and fixed service hours, complete varieties, high quality and low price, comfortable shopping environment, and are popular among community residents; the disadvantage is that the initial investment is large and the operation Profits are low and the requirements for cooperative marketing capabilities are relatively high. This model is generally suitable for fruit and vegetable cooperatives that are close to large and medium-sized cities to connect with densely populated communities in the city.
Case: Shaanxi Province Lufengyuan Fruit and Vegetable Professional Cooperative
Shaanxi Province Lufengyuan Fruit and Vegetable Professional Cooperative was established in March 2009, led by Liu, a major vegetable producer and seller. So far, the cooperative has 216 members and more than 160 employees, including 120 sales employees. It has actual assets of more than 22 million yuan. It has a vegetable distribution center, offices, a pesticide residue testing room, a vegetable processing center and a vegetable fresh-keeping warehouse. It has a dedicated There are 15 distribution vehicles, mainly engaged in the cultivation and sales of green, pollution-free fruits and vegetables.
At present, the cooperative has 16 vegetable direct sales stores in Baoji City, selling nearly 80 kinds of vegetables and more than 20,000 tons annually. Take the Petroleum Community Outlet Store as an example. In the second half of 2010, with the cooperation of the community property department, the cooperative built a simple board house as a direct sales store in the community, covering an area of ??more than 100 square meters, with 12 sales staff (including 10 laid-off workers from the community), and daily sales. The amount is about 5,000 yuan, the average monthly profit is nearly 2,000 yuan, and the government provides a one-time rent subsidy of 10,000 yuan, covering nearly 10,000 surrounding residents. There are more than 160 types of products on sale, including not only seasonal vegetables and fruits produced by the company, but also other ingredients and kitchen supplies. The average price is 10 to 20 yuan lower than the market price. When purchasing products from members, the cooperative price is generally 0.2 to 0.4 yuan/kg higher than the market price, and provides members with a minimum purchase protection price.
(2) Vehicle market.
The vehicle-mounted market first appeared in Beijing in August 2011. It was a docking model in which the government set up a platform and created conditions to help vegetable production and distribution cooperatives in the suburbs of Beijing enter the city for direct sales. Initially, the vehicle market only provided services on weekends, so it was also called the "weekend vehicle market." Thanks to the successful demonstration of the weekend vehicle-mounted vegetable market in Beijing and the vigorous promotion of the commercial department, vehicle-mounted markets are rapidly emerging in major and medium-sized cities across the country. The vehicle market generally has the following characteristics: ① The products sold are mainly fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits. ② Directly enter urban communities, or use transportation vehicles as carriers for sales, or set up temporary sales counters. ③Sales at low prices, small profits but quick turnover.
The advantages of the vehicle-mounted market are flexible operation, low site requirements, and low initial investment; the disadvantages are limited sales periods and product varieties, high requirements for distribution capabilities, and the need for active cooperation from residential properties. Therefore, this docking method is generally only suitable for fruit and vegetable cooperatives with strong distribution capabilities in the suburbs of cities to connect with densely populated communities in cities.
Case: Beijing Weekend Vehicle-mounted Vegetable Market
The weekend vehicle-mounted vegetable market promotes the connection of vegetables from vegetable farmers to communities, reduces the cost of intermediate circulation links, and the community eliminates the need for vegetables. The vegetables are cheap and fresh, and the prices are even cheaper than those in surrounding markets15. Monitoring data shows that at the "Haidian No. 9" vegetable stall located in Haidian Lanqiying Community, rapeseed is purchased for 1 yuan per catty and sold for 1.18 yuan, while cucumbers are purchased for 2.5 yuan per catty and sold for 2.75 yuan. There are a total of forty or fifty kinds of vegetables and fruits sold in the community, and five to six thousand kilograms of fruits and vegetables are sold every day.
Beijing’s weekend vehicle-mounted vegetable market is mostly sold by vegetable companies and cooperatives in the suburbs of Beijing, and it has gradually developed from a “weekend vehicle-mounted vegetable market” to a daily “community vegetable vehicle-mounted market” 3 to 4 times a week. market". According to Wei Yuhua, the person in charge of Hongwei Anmin, which owns 25 community vegetable direct sales trucks, “Although we don’t make money selling vegetables, with low prices and small profits but quick turnover, the community vegetable truck market has attracted a large number of consumers. Currently, through sales gross profit margin For high-end fruits, each direct-selling vehicle has achieved a monthly profit of more than 10,000 yuan." In order to respond to the government's vegetable policy to benefit farmers and expand the company's influence, Hongwei Anmin took the initiative to set up 18 kinds of "limited-price vegetables". These limited-price vegetables are the most popular seasonal dishes among the public, and the types also change according to the seasons. The price of "limited price vegetables" is 20 to 30 yuan lower than the price in ordinary vegetable markets, and there is basically no profit.
At present, new vehicle-mounted vegetable direct sales community models like Hongwei Anmin have taken root in more than 70 communities in 10 streets and counties in Haidian, Xicheng, Chaoyang and other districts and counties. According to statistics, as of May 2012, Beijing's vehicle-mounted vegetable direct sales community model has a daily supply capacity of more than 50,000 kilograms of vegetables, with a cumulative supply of 2.25 million kilograms of fresh and affordable vegetables.
(3) High-end delivery.
High-end distribution refers to a form of production-marketing docking in which urban residents submit purchase orders for agricultural products through the Internet, telephone and other channels, and cooperatives deliver the products directly to residents' homes or designated locations according to order requirements. With the development of Internet technology, high-end distribution, as a new model of "farmer-community docking", is a specific application of the e-commerce B2C model in the field of agricultural product sales, and has very broad development prospects.
High-end distribution generally has the following characteristics: ① Mainly selling high-end agricultural and sideline products, such as organic vegetables, high-end grains, etc., with high nutritional value and market value. ② There is no fixed sales store, but there are smart distribution cabinets in the community, and the service backend and distribution center are close to the product origin. ③ Take the high-end sales route, mainly targeting high-end urban consumer groups.
The main advantages of high-end order distribution are moderate production and on-demand distribution, which can reduce transportation losses, ensure the freshness and safety of products, and maximize the market value of high-quality agricultural products; the disadvantages are technical requirements and distribution The cost is high and limited to high-end consumer groups. This type of “farm-cooperative docking” is generally suitable for cooperatives that produce high-end agricultural products and have certain online marketing capabilities to connect with mid- to high-end urban communities.
Case: Beijing Beicaiyuan Agricultural Products Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative Federation
Beijing Beicaiyuan Agricultural Products Production and Marketing Professional Cooperative is mainly engaged in the cultivation and sales of organic vegetables. In 2011, the organic vegetables sold through order distribution accounted for more than 50% of the total organic vegetable output of the cooperative, and the organic vegetables were sold at "organic prices", achieving sales revenue of more than 3 million yuan.
There are two main delivery channels for cooperative orders: one is to deliver the organic vegetables ordered by customers to smart lockers in the community. Smart cabinets are generally placed at the entrance of residential buildings. A smart cabinet has up to 18 vegetable safes, which are controlled by a remote computer. Each smart cabinet can ensure repeated use by 60 to 110 community residents. The cooperative sorts out the orders placed by customers on the website before 8 a.m. every morning, picks organic vegetables from the cooperative base according to the order requirements and packages them directly in the distribution center. The vegetables are delivered to smart cabinets through refrigerated transport trucks. Consumers use the barcodes obtained from the website Get ordered vegetables directly at the smart cabinet. In order to ensure the freshness of organic vegetables, the entire process from order confirmation to vegetable delivery to smart cabinets will be controlled within 5 hours. At present, the cooperative has set up 24 smart cabinets in 15 communities, concentrated in Haidian, Chaoyang and Dongxicheng. Second, the cooperative provides direct door-to-door delivery services based on customer orders as a supplement to communities without smart cabinets. As long as customers who live within the Fifth Ring Road purchase agricultural products for more than 100 yuan on the website, the cooperative can deliver the products to the customers' homes for free. If the agricultural products ordered are less than 100 yuan, the cooperative will charge an appropriate shipping fee of 20 to 30 yuan.
(4) Comprehensive exhibition and sales.
Comprehensive exhibition and sales refers to a docking form in which a single cooperative or multiple cooperatives form a federation, set up a comprehensive display and sales platform, and mainly operate various famous and high-quality agricultural and sideline products. Comprehensive exhibitions and sales generally have the following characteristics: ① Mainly selling a certain type or several special agricultural and sideline products with high added value produced and processed by cooperatives or federations, such as bee products, lotus root products, soy products, tea, fruits and Gourds, straw mats and other folk crafts. ② Have a fixed business location, and are usually located in mid-to-high-end residential areas, shopping malls or city centers, based on the principles of convenient transportation and large flow of people. ③ Packaging is mainly into mid-to-high-end gifts, highlighting local customs and regional characteristics. It has both wholesale and retail functions. It not only bases itself on the local market, sells to community residents, or supplies to local supermarkets, but also radiates to surrounding areas and even the country, setting up chain stores in other large and medium-sized cities to play the role of wholesale agent.
The main advantages of comprehensive exhibitions and sales are that the store has a good image, good economic benefits, it is easy to build a brand, and expands market influence; the disadvantage is that it provides less fresh agricultural products and is less close to residents' lives. This type is generally suitable for cooperatives that produce agricultural and sideline products with high added value or that can process and package agricultural products to connect with high-end consumer groups in cities.
Case: Hubei Province Longgu Changshouyuan Agricultural Products Professional Cooperative Federation
Hubei Province Longgu Changshouyuan Agricultural Products Professional Cooperative Federation was jointly established by 12 professional cooperatives and was established in 2012 Registered with the Zhongxiang City Industrial and Commercial Bureau on March 16, it is a professional joint organization integrating production, processing, packaging, refrigeration, logistics and sales. The Federation *** has 5,822 members, covering 7 towns and villages in the city, covering multiple advantageous industries such as rice, peanuts, vegetables, pigs, bees, aquatic products, edible fungi, and poultry.
The United Cooperative organizes professional cooperatives in different industries, coordinates and allocates high-quality resources of each branch, focuses on developing the intensive processing industry of agricultural products, and improves the market competitiveness and brand value of cooperative products.
At present, the United Society has 7 registered trademarks, 2 pollution-free agricultural product certifications and 1 green food certification. In addition, the United Cooperative is actively applying for national geographical indications for the cooperative's specialty products "rice tea" and "bean dragon vegetables". Under the guidance of the municipal government, the Economic and Management Bureau and the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, the United Society rented a supermarket store in a newly built commercial and residential community with a business area of ??1,700 square meters and a monthly rent of 37,000 yuan. It is preparing to invest in building a supermarket with unique features. It is a large-scale comprehensive agricultural product supermarket that integrates agricultural product exhibition, direct sales, catering and other functions. It promotes and sells the special agricultural and sideline products of each branch. The total designed number of households in this community is nearly 3,000, and it is expected that tens of thousands of people will move in within 5 years, which will bring broad business opportunities to the comprehensive supermarket of agricultural products.