The Determinants of the Market. The Case of the Greek Agribusiness Sector

Abstract

Abstract Greece is a traditional agricultural country and has an important primary sector, mainly characterized by family farms. The major structural problems of the Greek agricultural sector are the small size of the holding, the land fragmentation, and the low educational level of human resources in rural areas. As a supplier of the Agribusiness sector, the farm is directly linked to the manufacturing industry. Our main purpose was to discover the conditions prevailing in the Greek Agribusiness Sector and its relationship with the Greek primary sector. The research was conducted in the Greek Agribusiness sector, using the SCP paradigm, in 2012. We found that special and atypical conditions prevail in Greek market, such as the significant heterogeneity of products, the bulk products supply, the existence of heterogeneity in the product sectors, and the special geographical conditions in a large part of Greek territory. We argue that imperfect competition prevails in parts of the Greek market, creating local niche markets, and giving to the local smes the opportunity to do business, to promote and sell their product range. Therefore, we note the existence of fragmentation in Greek market, either product or geographic, and the existence of a multidimensional Greek market reality, which have some specific impacts on the Greek Agribusiness market and thus, on the