Community access to marketing opportunities: options for remote areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Literature review (NRI report no. 2459)

The goal of this project is "to provide guidance for policy makers by establishing a complete picture of market access related issues and the options available, with special emphasis on institutional issues." There is general recognition of the role that improved market access can play in enhancing rural development and poverty reduction, though there is limited information on the extent and nature of the problem and of options for developing appropriate mechanisms to enable rural communities to take advantage of market opportunities. The focus of the project is on remote communities in sub-Saharan Africa, though experiences from around the world will be drawn upon to deepen understanding and provide approaches to overcoming constraints. This first activity of the project aims to identify the key issues and experiences relating to community access to market opportunities by way of literature review. A draft of the report was produced in August 1998 as the first project output. The current version incorporates comments received on the draft plus some additional references obtained prior and during project work in Malawi, Mali, and Uganda

Methodological framework integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches for socio-economic survey work. Final technical report (NRI report no. 2590)

The main objective of this project was to improve survey methodologies used in the natural resources sector, leading in turn to improved quality of information required for decision-making at the various stages of RNR programmes and projects. The project attempted to bridge the gap between informal I qualitative methods on the one hand and formal I quantitative ones on the other. It is expected that improved decision making in natural resources projects will ultimately lead to more sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction in rural areas of developing countries

Decentralised market information service in Lira District, Uganda. Project inception workshop in Lira (NRI report no. 2747)

This inception workshop was the first activity of the research project 'Decentralised Market Information Service in Lira District, Uganda', which is funded by the DFID Crop Post-Harvest Research Programme. The main objective of this project is to test information delivery models for poor farming communities, with emphasis on decentralised market information services and the use of FM Radio

Feasibility study of cassava production and marketing in Zimbabwe

This report presents the findings of three visits to Zimbabwe between June and October 1993 to identifiy potential industrial markets for cassava products and assess the feasibility of producing and processing the crop in communal areas. The study was initiated at the request of the Commonwealth Science Council (CSC, based in London), and the Biomass Users Network (BUN, based in Harare) during a workshop in Harare in May 1993 in which Dr Poulter and Dr Westby of NRI participated. The stockfeed industry was identified as the largest immediate market for cassava in Zimbabwe. Seasonal demand for beef fattening rations is highest between June and October which is when climatic conditions for sundrying of fresh roots are best in the country. The stockfeed industry offers about Z$500 per tonne of dried cassava. Demand from other industries such as starch manufacturing, flour processing, brewing and fuel production may only arise once a self-sustaining cassava economy producing considerable quantities of raw material is established. Table 1 summarizes the findings and gives details of size and particulars of each potential market. The net forex savings due to the utilisation of 20,000 tonnes of dry cassava in stockfeed is of the order of US$1.5 million. However, this amount of forex can only be saved if the demand from the feed industry can actually be met by corresponding Zimbabwean supply of roots. In the course of the Rapid Rural Appraisal exercise in communal areas of Masvingo, Mashonaland East and Manicaland Provinces, very little cassava was seen. Food security and cash were identified as the farmers' main motivations to engage in cassava production. Farmers would like to try out the crop on small plots before embarking on larger scale production (ie. on more than one acre). Drought resistance and the possibility of growing the crop on marginal soils are the main advantages of producing cassava. The main constraints to agricultural production are, besides low rainfall, lack of funds to purchase inputs and lack of draught power. Fencing is a particular necessity with regard to cassava since the crop requires protection against domestic and wild animals during the dry season when it would be the only green vegetation present

Empowering Smallholder Farmers in Markets: Changing agricultural marketing systems and innovative responses by producer organizations

Though some producer organizations have enabled developing country farmers to exploit new opportunities and/or cope with emerging challenges through developing and/or taking advantage of innovative mechanisms and institutions, there are many farmers who lack sustainable access to inputs and services as well as to remunerative output markets. This paper is intended to generate a better understanding of the conditions which make producer organizations capable vehicles by which farmers, especially small-scale farmers in developing countries, can reach markets in a dynamic and demanding trading environment, and respond to the needs of their clients and members. It aims at identifying lessons on the forms of organizations as well as the innovative mechanisms and institutions that producer organizations can adopt and/or help promote in response to challenges in the changing agricultural marketing systems, in particular, to strengthen the bargaining position of farmers.agricultural marketing systems; producer organizations; innovative rural finance

Economic model of coconut based farming systems. A guide

The model presented in this short guide is the result of the project 'Coconut-Based Farming Systems -Functioning and Economic Analysis Models', which was funded by the European Commission (DGXII), co-ordinated by CIRAD, and undertaken in collaboration with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) of Tanzania. For more background information it is recommended to consult the annual project reports prepared by CIRAD and NRI. The guide was prepared with a view to accompany the Excel5.0 version ofthe model entitled 'coco-eco.xls'. It provides an overview of the key features ofthe model, and aside from general spreadsheet tips, leads through the various components of the model. The appendices contain a printout of the empty model. The sections on 'Basic Principles of the Model' and 'Main Indicators' only highlight the key elements of the model without going into great detail. More information is contained in the section guiding through the various sheets of the model. The tables in the latter section are first of all for illustration purposes, and are to some extent based on dummy data. Originally, in collaboration with the BEAM Project of the University of Wales, an attempt has been made to create a more comprehensive model allowing an economic and labour analysis over a period of up to 60 years for situations with and without coconut based intercropping. Unfortunately, due to time and budget constraints it was not possible to finalise this larger model prior to the end of the project. Time permitting, BEAM will complete and disseminate it during the course of 1998. This led to the creation of the current model, which, despite of being a smaller version, is very much in line with the data to be generated by the bio-physical CIRAD model. The current model is entirely NRI's responsibility. A final reminder to the reader of this guide. The model primarily focuses on economic aspects of coconut based intercropping systems. However, depending upon the circumstances, farmers may also have other priorities such as food security, or labour saving agricultural practices. This can lead to situations where economic profitability may only be a secondary objective for the farmer

Community access to marketing opportunities: options for remote areas. Uganda case study (NRI report no. 2442)

The findings of this research are based on the results of a project funded by DFID's Crop Post-Harvest Research Progranune between April 1998 and March 1999, with fieldwork taking place in Uganda, Malawi, and Mali. The project was mainly concerned with policy and institutional aspects. It was concluded that holistic approaches are required to improve community access to marketing opportunities in remote areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, but that initiatives needed to be prioritised