Product strategies and export performance: a case of horticulture small and medium enterprises.

Horticulture products are among the various agricultural products that have received huge attention in the international trade market and have been recognized in the World health sector as an important and integral component of a healthy diet. This study examined the influence of horticulture product strategies on the export performance. The study was guided by the following objectives; to establish the influence of product attributes on the export performance of small and medium horticulture enterprises, to find out the effects of packaging on the export performance of small and medium horticulture enterprises and to establish the influence of labelling on the export performance of small and medium horticulture enterprises. The study used primary and secondary data in which questionnaires were used as the main tool for collecting data, and a sample size of 150 individuals who were purposively selected was employed. Regression analysis was conducted to check the influence of the independent variables towards dependent variable. The study revealed that there is positive and significant relationship in all the independent variables namely; product attributes, labelling and packaging with the dependent variable which is export performance. However, of all the three, product attributes and packaging showed much more stronger significance than labelling. The study recommends marketing departments in the organizations should ensure they focus on ensuring the attributes on the horticulture products are considered such as smell, quality and colors.