AGRICULTURAL MARKETING
Home Page
Francais
Espanol
Contents
What's
new
Marketing
policy
Market
information services
Horticultural
marketing extension
Maize
marketing extension
Urban
food marketing
Marketing
infrastructure
Farm
input marketing
Marketing
networks
Marketing/Agribusiness
textbooks
Training
links
List
of our publications
Contacting
Us
See also
AFMA
AFMESA
ALDMA
Costs
and margins
Export
crops
Extension
video No 1
Extension
video No. 2
Fertilizer
marketing
Food
into cities
Food
security reserves
Inventory
credit
Legislation
and marketing
Retail
markets
Seed
marketing
Structural
adjustment
Wholesale
markets
Wholesale
market management
Future
Plans
______
Agricultural
Support Systems Division
Agriculture
Department
Market Information Services-
Theory and Practice
Recent years have seen an increased interest in Market Information Services (MIS). Efficient market information can be shown to have positive benefits for farmers, traders and policymakers. Up-to-date market information enables farmers to negotiate with traders and also facilitates spatial distribution of products from rural areas to towns and between markets. Well-analysed historical market information permits decisions by farmers on new crops to grow and by traders on the viability of inter-seasonal storage. It also improves planning and policy decisions.
This AGS Bulletin reviews the main features which need to be considered if a commercially useful and sustainable MIS is to be established. The Bulletin will be a valuable starting point for countries wishing to establish such services or to improve existing ones. Donor organizations and consultancy firms working in this area should also find it useful. A brief introductory chapter offers a definition of an MIS. Chapter 2 then reviews in some depth the theoretical benefits of such services. This is followed by an evaluation of experiences with MIS around the world. Chapter 4 draws conclusions from those experiences and identifies points that must be reviewed in depth prior to the establishment of a new service. These include the need to research the way the marketing system functions and identification of appropriate institutional arrangements for operation of the service,as well as collection, analysis and dissemination of the data and the choice of products and markets to be covered.
"Market Information Services--Theory and Practice"
by Andrew W. Shepherd (AGS Bulletin No. 125; US$7.00) can be downloaded
in pdf format (see below) or ordered from FAO's Publications Section.
(pdf version)
This publication is available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format suitable for downloading, printing, duplication and distribution. You will need to have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer and configured as a plug-in. (To download the free Acrobat Reader and find out how to use PDF files click here.)
Market Information Services--Theory and Practice
Chapter 3--Experiences with Market Information Services
Chapter 4--Setting Up a Market Information Service