Evaluation of marketing strategies utilized by the milk producers in Tanzania: a case of Arumeru District

The main objective of this study was to evaluate marketing strategies utilized by milk producers in Arumeru District in Tanzania to determine how effective they are. Promotional tools used in the marketing of milk, attitudes of milk producers towards the fairness of milk price and the distribution process was assessed. Both desk and field research were conducted. A sample of fifty milk producers was interviewed using structured questionnaires. The results show that milk producers in Arumeru District in Tanzania utilize a limited number of marketing strategies which has affected their performance. The price paid to them by their customers is viewed as being unfair and the profit margin they fetch is very small due to high costs of production. Most milk producers use word of mouth as the major tool to promote their products while leaving out other important and effective tools on the grounds that they are expensive. The majority of milk producers do not have problems in distributing milk to their customers and the distribution channel is observed to be very short since only one intermediary is involved. It is recommended that the government of Tanzania through the Ministry of Livestock Development and Fisheries and other bodies formulate policies that are supportive to dairy farmers who are the milk producers. Dairy farmers should strive to form their association through which they can access various supports including loans and unite against unfair prices paid to them by their customers and through their associations. Also through their associations they can afford utilizing marketing strategies for their sustainable performance as effective utilization of marketing strategies is apparently expensive at an individual level.