Using marketing management to ensure competitiveness of agricultural enterprises

Purpose. The objective of the study is to substantiate the feasibility of marketing management implementation in agricultural enterprises to ensure their competitiveness. Methodology / approach. To achieve the research objective, the dialectical method of scientific inquiry, as well as general scientific methods, such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, economic-and-mathematical modeling (balance-optimization model), visualization and generalization were used to collect, analyze, evaluate, inform and present the study results and conclusions. Results. It was substantiated that marketing management, as a prominent component of crisis management, should be introduced in agricultural enterprises to identify most promising areas of their activity within current business environment in order to ensure their competitiveness. The efficiency and prospects of organic produce farming in Ukraine have been proved, as a contribution to the improvement of the economic, social and ecological conditions in the country. It was suggested that agricultural enterprises should apply a strategy of full or partial diversification of activities based on organic farming. The study presented the use of a balance-optimization model to make informed management decisions as to optimization of the crop sector production structure of an agricultural enterprise, focused on market demand and compliant with principles of sustainable development. The essence of the model is the calculation of the gross output value under the condition of using different options for fertilizer application in crop cultivation. Originality / scientific novelty. The scientific approach to the using marketing management in agricultural enterprises, which provides for the application of methods of economic-and-mathematical modeling for the production of agricultural products based on organic farming, to ensure their competitiveness was improved. Practical value / implications. The applied value of this research is in elaboration of specific recommendations for making informed management decisions to optimize the production structure of the crop sector of an agricultural enterprise, focused on market demand and compliant with principles of sustainable development.