The Moderating Effect of Strategic Planning on the Relationship between Marketing Strategy and Poultry Farming Cooperatives’ Performance in the Province of Gitega (Burundi)

The purpose of this study was to find out whether or not strategic planning moderated the relationship between marketing strategy and the performance of poultry farming in Gitega province (Burundi). The study used the quantitative method where the descriptive research design was applied. The population of this study comprised of members of seven poultry farming cooperatives from two communes of the province of Gitega, in Burundi. The total number of the members was 3252. From a total number of 3252 members of poultry farming cooperatives, a sample of 356 was obtained using Slovin’s formula. 356 questionnaires were administered from which 352 were returned and analyzed. The findings revealed a positively significant moderating effect of strategic planning on the relationship between the marketing strategy and the performance of poultry farming in Gitega province (β = 2.343, p = .001 < .05). However, despite the fact that most of the analyzed cooperatives had some strategic planning practices, it is regrettable that strategic planning implementation is not widely practiced among poultry farming cooperatives in Burundi.