| Abstract [eng] |
124 pages (including annexes), 9 charts, 27 pictures, 59 references. The main purpose of this master thesis is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on the export and import processes of milk and its products. The work consists of three main parts; the analysis of literature, the research and its results,conclusion and recommendations. Literature analysis reviews the uniqueness of the agricultural sector and the characteristics of its production, its role in the food supply chain, the risk of price and cost volatility and the diversity of its processes. It also details the processes involved in the agricultural sector down to the export and import processes, highlighting their inherent constraints and the impact of COVID-19. Finally, an analysis of the dairy sector and its processes is carried out and the object of the study is identified. After the literature analysis the author has carried out the study about the impact of COVID-19 on the export and import processes of milk and its products. Using the method of descriptive and comparative statistical data analysis, 15 indicators expressing the dairy sector and its export and import processes were analyzed. A graphical representation of the data is used to interpret their analysis. The aim of this approach was to provide an overview of the overall development of the dairy sector in the trend analysed and to highlight the changes that have taken place in the indicators in question. This provided a solid basis for the formulation of 6 exploratory statements, which regards the confirmation of the impact of COVID-19 on the price, duration, demand, smoothness, reliability and number of drivers of milk and its products transportation. and 10 expert questions. Correlation-regression and multi-regression analysis revealed the dependence of total dairy exports and imports on Lithuania's GDP and allowed to interpret the significance of the latter indicators and the impact on the overall valuation model accordingly. This method and the results obtained were processed using the IBM SPSS Statistics specialized software package. A panel of 6 dairy industry experts presented their answers to a questionnaire. The main purpose of the questionnaire was to reveal the reasons for the results of the descriptive and comparative statistical analysis and to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the export and import processes of milk and its products. The responses of the dairy industry experts were processed to highlight overlaps and exclusions. The performed research revealed that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on the export and import processes of milk and its products. The most complicated part of the mentioned processes was the transportation of milk and its products. The study confirmed the 6 investigative statements and concluded that COVID-19 affected the transportation time, price, demand, smoothness, reliability and capacity management of milk and milk products. The conclusions and recommendations summarize the main concepts of literature analysis as well as the results of the performed research. The author believes that the results of the study could give useful guidelines to the companies that are going to to carry out export and import processes of milk and its products. For companies already involved in the export and import of milk and its products, the study could help to assess possible measures to manage the effects of COVID-19, such as an increase the number of drivers, which would prevent their possible shortage during a pandemic. |
