Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...

Agricultural markets
Three quarters of the village leaders report increased volume of trade in nearby markets since
1992.
Village leaders report improvements in market infrastructure including more storage space, a
larger number of stores, and improved water access, but no change in the number of
telephones.
The number of traders has increased in every region and every type of market.
Access to credit
In the North, 50% of villages say all farmers get input credit, while in the South two-thirds of
them say no one receives credit.
Although few villages have a Caisse Locale de Crédit Agricole Mutuel (CLCAM), 44 percent
of the village report improved availability of credit while only 10 percent say it has declined.
Groupements villageois
GVs are found in 91 percent of Northern villages but just 39 percent of Southern ones.
GVs in the North distribute inputs and market cotton, dominating those activities in each
village, while GVs in the South focus on food crop marketing and handle a small share of
village output.
Village leaders confirm the GVs have expanded input distribution, cotton marketing, and
maize marketing.
Agricultural production and extension
One-third of the villages say the number of extension agents has declined, while almost none
report an increase.
Deficit and surplus maize village co-exist in every region, suggesting a complex pattern of
marketing flows.
Most villages are deficit in rice and beans, reflecting national deficits in these commodities.
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