Designing the Model of Marketability and Marketing of Guilan Rice based on the Grounded Theory Approach

The purpose of this article is to identify, categorize and model the factors affecting the marketing and development of Guilan rice acceptance. Rice is known as a strategic product in Guilan province, but its weak marketability has led to a decline in the agricultural economy of this product. It is thought that the findings of this study can be useful in better policy and management of this issue.

Due to the scope of the problem and the hiding of many influential variables in this research, we used grounded theory method as one of the qualitative research methods. For this reason, according to purposive sampling, we interviewed experts to achieve theoretical adequacy. to obtain the validity and reliability of the data, we used two methods. non-participant experts’ reviews and participant’ reviews.

A total of 395 initial codes were identified from 26 interviews after initial coding. After eliminating the iterations, 318 concepts and 61 main categories were structured based on strauss and corbin paradigm model. Finally, the categories were screened and the final 30 categories were identified consist of causal, contextual and intervening condition, strategies and results with the focus on the core category. In addition to the paradigm model, research-based suggestion were presented, which briefly include: developing rice alterant and processing industries, determination of guaranteed prices by the government for the purchase of rice from the farmer, sensitivity to customer needs, using e-marketing, developing agricultural marketing training programs, provide low interest loans, development of agricultural insurances for risk management, creation of a secondary source of income for farmers in unemployment seasons, timely supply and management of the product to the market, subsidies to domestic farmer to increase their incomes and reduce migration to cities, importing whole grain rice instead of white rice, allocating special funds for basic research, creating a strong organization with the aim of managing rice market and marketing services, holding farmers' meetings with relevant marketers, factory owners and managers, benefiting from food distribution marketers in other provinces, joint promotions of manufacturers and marketers, providing conditions for export.

The presented paradigm model is the result of interviews with groups that are tangibly related to rice crop from different views: Managers and policy makers, experts, farmer, factory owner, sellers of agricultural implements, non-farmer marketers (sellers), farmer marketers. The presence of these diverse groups shows the comprehensiveness of this research. The paradigm model obtained from the research along with the suggestions can be considered as a reliable basis for managing the pre-production, production and post-production of this strategic product and even other agricultural products and be effective in developing the market acceptance of this product.