دراسة التغيرات السعرية لمحصول البندورة في أسواق الجملة والمفرق في محافظة اللاذقية خلال الفترة (2014-2023)

Abstract

The research aimed to identify the price changes of wholsale and retail prices for the tomato crop in Lattakia Governorate during the period from 2014 to 2023 and to measure the marketing margins and shares. To achieve these objectives, the study relied on secondary data issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in Syria during the recorded period. And it was issued by the Directorate of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection in Lattakia Governorate for the same period, where the descriptive-analytical method was used to present, organize, and analyze the data, in addition to using mathematical equations, price transmission methods, and price and production cost indices in order to understand the changes in costs and prices.                                                                          

The research results showed an increase in the cost of producing the tomato crop, from eighteen Syrian pounds in 2014 to fifty-nine Syrian pounds in 2023, due to rising costs of production inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, and control materials, in addition to the increased wages for agricultural operations. The results also indicated a rise in the marketing margin for all marketing channels, reflecting additional costs or market changes that affect prices at each stage of marketing. This ultimately leads to an increase in the price paid by the consumer, as the producer's share of the consumer’s pound increased from thirty-five point seven percent in 2014 to forty-eight point five percent in 2023. Conversely, the share of wholesale and retail traders decreased during the same years. This means that producers are receiving a larger portion of the final price paid by the consumer when purchasing the product, benefiting more from the marketing stages compared to what they previously received. On the other hand, wholesale and retail traders are receiving a smaller share of the final price, which could be the result of challenges in the supply chain or market dynamics shifting in favor of producers or consumers. The research also highlighted that the marketing efficiency of the tomato crop increased from twenty-two percent in 2014 to around thirty-four percent in 2023, indicating an improvement in the performance of the marketing system and greater effectiveness in delivering the product from the farm while reducing waste in costs and resources.