Designing a Model of Factors Influencing the Development of Agricultural Products Export to the South Caucasus Region

Considering Iran’s potential in producing agricultural products and reasonable quality of these products, promotion of exporting these products can contribute to economic development. The purpose of this research is to identify the influencing factors on improving the ability to export agricultural products to the South Caucasus region. This research is a type of mixed research with a qualitative and quantitative approach, which is a survey study in terms of its purpose, application, and in terms of data collection. The statistical population of the research includes 18 experts and managers of exporters of agricultural products in East Azerbaijan and Ardebil provinces who had a history of exporting to the South Caucasus region. The tools of information gathering were interviews and questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews were used to identify the categories and questionnaires were used to validate the model. To investigate the validity of the qualitative part, the Cressol model was used along with content validity, intra-coder and inter-coder reliability. Content validity and retest validity were used in the quantitative part. In the qualitative part of the data analysis method, the data theory approach was the basis, which was compiled with MAXQDA software and using the coding method, and in the quantitative part, the analysis method was based on Kendall’s correlation test. The results of the research include presenting a model 8consisting of causal, background and intervening conditions, along with introducing the central phenomenon and proposing strategies for developing the capabilities of exporting agricultural products to the South Caucasus region and identifying its consequences; Therefore, in order to develop export development capabilities, managers must take into consideration the driving factors such as product prices, geographical distance, the opportunity to earn profit in the target market, etc. And by considering the cultural and environmental factors, tastes and preferences of consumers, they can help to achieve results such as profitability, economic development, importing foreign currency and increasing the competitiveness of products.