There are many specialty segments in the market. This makes it difficult in practice for the same agency to cover each and every one of these. The human and technical resources required to address all sectors would be large. This situation is also exemplified in a popular saying that says «he who covers a lot, takes little.» However, it is possible to carry out research in fields other than that of experience if you have the appropriate elements.
Gathering the necessary resources to carry out studies in areas that are not mastered represents challenges that the most experienced agencies can undertake to get out of their comfort zone. The agricultural segment is one that is sometimes difficult to cover given its intrinsic characteristics. For example, not sharing a common space with the urban environment already represents a first barrier that must be overcome. Below we mention four recommendations for carrying out studies in this sector.
Sources. In each country, accessibility may be different in this regard. To give an example, in Mexico the figures for the agricultural sector suffer from certain limitations because it is considered a delicate area. The National Statistical Directory of Economic Units of INEGI, although it considers this sector in the business classification, does not have enough free and public data in this regard. For this reason, alternatives must be sought such as Farming Organizations and Associations of the sector.
Analysts. Although a good researcher is expected to be able to carry out projects on any topic, it is also true that the more specialized he is, the fewer areas he will be able to cover effectively. Each segment has particularities and requires sectoral skills that are well worth mastering. This makes more sense when you are looking for data that is complex to access and whose validation requires in-depth knowledge about the world of agriculture and livestock.
Travel expenses. The vast majority of market research companies have their offices and specialist staff in cities. This implies that if you want to corroborate data and contact people in the countryside, it will be necessary to go to their places. Although there is the possibility of asking them to come to our locations, this may represent an impediment that reduces our participation rates. There may also be the case of not obtaining all the information due to biases due to changes in location.
Contacts. Physical distance is also a limitation to having the portfolios of consumers and producers in the agricultural sector that are essential to execute any study protocol. In cities there are relative facilities for contacting people to help us obtain inputs thanks to the fact that most services and products are produced and consumed in that same place. However, in the case of rural areas it is not the same. It is required to have a robust directory of participants who know us and have confidence in collaborating with us.
Each specialty has its peculiarities. Agriculture rests on practices and customs that we city dwellers may find aggressive and incomprehensible. Extensive experience and judgment are needed to effectively approach this sector, which represents a fairly large market niche in several geographies. LATAM is a region where this area has great weight in our economy and that is why it is not surprising that many brands and companies set their eyes here.
Acertiva is a Latin American Market Research agency that has niche expertise in retail, pharmaceuticals, education, restaurants and social impact. We have sporadically developed research on the agricultural and livestock sector that has left us with great learnings. We put this trajectory at your disposal so that you can make your next success story a reality. Write to us today to tell us about your market knowledge needs.
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