Operational characterisation of a Micro-SME producing farmhouse cheese in the south of Venezuela

A piece of research is presented that was conducted on the Guayanes Farmhouse Telita Cheese Producers Network located in the Piar and Padre Chien rural municipalities of Bolivar state in Venezuela. Guayanes telita cheese is a regional dairy product. The producers are to be found in a rural area with a high potential for marketing the label in the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). This market is the focal point of the strategic importance of this study for the Region and the Country. The research is of a descriptive scope conducted in the field. A questionnaire based on good food production practice was used as a data gathering technique. The final sample comprised 30 production units. Statistical processing was performed with version 15.2 of the STATGRAPHICS Centurion computational tool. The results would appear to confirm previous studies that point to the existence of factors that prevent these Micro-SMEs from guaranteeing the food safety of the product. The results indicate that new lines of research need to be opened up. These are oriented towards formulating strategies for the continuous improvement of these micro-SMEs, including quality control indicators.