Moving towards GAP: Determining the Technical Assistance Needs of Affected Massachusetts Cranberry Growers
Project Director: Nora Ganim Barnes, Ph.D.
The purpose of this study is to assess the technical assistance needs of Massachusetts cranberry growers in the fresh fruit segment of the industry who will need to become GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certified. The goals of this study are to:
- Determine the level of awareness regarding FDA/USDA or other proposed GAP standards among cranberry growers who sell their berries as fresh fruit.
- Determine the needs of those growers for technical, financial or educational assistance to reach compliance with GAP standards.
- Determine the optimal role of Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association (CCCGA) in assisting those growers with meeting GAP standards.
- Determine the likelihood that those cranberry growers will continue in the fresh fruit market given the movement towards GAP standards.
To achieve these goals, Nora Ganim Barnes, Ph.D., Chancellor Professor of Marketing and Director of the UMass Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research designed and supervised a survey conducted via telephone. A systematic random sample from a list of cranberry growers and supplied by CCCGA was used. Calls were made to growers beginning in November 2007 from the UMass Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research located in Fairhaven, MA. The data collection ended in December 2007.
All growers were asked about their familiarity with the proposed GAP standards. They were queried regarding their likelihood of remaining in the fresh fruit segment if GAP standards were expected of them and asked what it might take to keep them competitive in light of GAP moving forward. Any information that will help to identify grower needs to achieve GAP standards was collected.
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