Despite the significant annual consumption of honey in Saudi Arabia, information gaps remain with regard to the marketing and market structure of honey along the value chain. This study analyzed the major factors that...Despite the significant annual consumption of honey in Saudi Arabia, information gaps remain with regard to the marketing and market structure of honey along the value chain. This study analyzed the major factors that influenced the consumption, expenditure patterns, and demand of honey in Saudi Arabia. This study forecasted the near-future expected market demands for honey in Saudi Arabia by collecting and analyzing the primary data using questionnaires. A total of 331 respondents from representative regions and large cities were randomly selected and interviewed. The data were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods as well as appropriate econometric models. Respondents characterized honey quality using organoleptic words, and these characterizations varied based on the relative significance of perception parameters. Taste, aroma, physical state, and color had aggregated average scores of 4.58, 4.44, 3.54, and 3.28, respectively. In addition to the above parameters, honey source, brand name, and confidence in the producers influenced its perceived quality. The major outlets for honey in Saudi Arabia included producers, specialized honey stores, and auction markets in major cities during the harvesting seasons. Medication, food, and sweetening were the major motivations for buying honey in the Saudi market, with aggregate scores of 4.52, 3.71, and 1.52, respectively. Significant honey price variations were observed within and among different honeys and packaging volumes;this finding might be due to factors such as botanical and geographical origins, package volume size economics (i.e., bulk purchases), honey variety blending, brand names, and producer policies. The average price of locally produced honey was approximately $73 per kg, which is 10 times more than the average price of honey in the US and the EU. The estimated consumption/income elasticity was 0.27. These results suggest that honey is a basic commodity in Saudi Arabia. Based on econometric model forecasts, the Saudi market demand for honey is expected to reach approximately 29,784 tons in 2025.展开更多
With the rapid development of Things of Internet and its related technologies such as Wireless Sensor Network and remote access system development, its application on agricultural and farming domain has become a new r...With the rapid development of Things of Internet and its related technologies such as Wireless Sensor Network and remote access system development, its application on agricultural and farming domain has become a new research direction. This paper discusses a practical and efficient system by applying mobile software development technologies and ZigBee communication network. To achieve a compact and flexible iOS-based client, this study takes advantage of Model-View-ViewModel pattern as well as Client/Server style. Several encryption technologies such as Message Digest algorithm and Rivest Shamir Adleman algorithm are combined to ensure information security. Compared to the common portable marketing system, the proposed system also provides accurate growth information which is collected by wireless sensor network, and proposes a more flexible design pattern for mobile client hence obtaining a better performance on iOS devices.展开更多
文摘Despite the significant annual consumption of honey in Saudi Arabia, information gaps remain with regard to the marketing and market structure of honey along the value chain. This study analyzed the major factors that influenced the consumption, expenditure patterns, and demand of honey in Saudi Arabia. This study forecasted the near-future expected market demands for honey in Saudi Arabia by collecting and analyzing the primary data using questionnaires. A total of 331 respondents from representative regions and large cities were randomly selected and interviewed. The data were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods as well as appropriate econometric models. Respondents characterized honey quality using organoleptic words, and these characterizations varied based on the relative significance of perception parameters. Taste, aroma, physical state, and color had aggregated average scores of 4.58, 4.44, 3.54, and 3.28, respectively. In addition to the above parameters, honey source, brand name, and confidence in the producers influenced its perceived quality. The major outlets for honey in Saudi Arabia included producers, specialized honey stores, and auction markets in major cities during the harvesting seasons. Medication, food, and sweetening were the major motivations for buying honey in the Saudi market, with aggregate scores of 4.52, 3.71, and 1.52, respectively. Significant honey price variations were observed within and among different honeys and packaging volumes;this finding might be due to factors such as botanical and geographical origins, package volume size economics (i.e., bulk purchases), honey variety blending, brand names, and producer policies. The average price of locally produced honey was approximately $73 per kg, which is 10 times more than the average price of honey in the US and the EU. The estimated consumption/income elasticity was 0.27. These results suggest that honey is a basic commodity in Saudi Arabia. Based on econometric model forecasts, the Saudi market demand for honey is expected to reach approximately 29,784 tons in 2025.
文摘With the rapid development of Things of Internet and its related technologies such as Wireless Sensor Network and remote access system development, its application on agricultural and farming domain has become a new research direction. This paper discusses a practical and efficient system by applying mobile software development technologies and ZigBee communication network. To achieve a compact and flexible iOS-based client, this study takes advantage of Model-View-ViewModel pattern as well as Client/Server style. Several encryption technologies such as Message Digest algorithm and Rivest Shamir Adleman algorithm are combined to ensure information security. Compared to the common portable marketing system, the proposed system also provides accurate growth information which is collected by wireless sensor network, and proposes a more flexible design pattern for mobile client hence obtaining a better performance on iOS devices.
