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

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Strengthen the extension service by maintaining the staffing levels in the Programme de<br />

Restructuration des Services Agricole (PRSA). The results of the surveys undertaken by this project<br />

indicate that farmers have little contact with agents, that village leaders see declining numbers of agents,<br />

and that a deteriorating extension service was one of few complaints by GV managers. <strong>In</strong>creasing<br />

staffing levels may require a study of the reason for attrition and an improvement in the incentives for<br />

extension agents.<br />

Broaden the mission of the extension service to include the provision of marketing<br />

information. The Small Farmer Survey indicates that almost two thirds of the crop production is<br />

destined for sale. Yet, farmers rely on friends and family for information about markets. Given the<br />

growing importance of markets in determining the returns to agricultural production, extension agents<br />

should receive training and information to allow them to assist farmers in this way.<br />

Improve the market information system. <strong>Farmers</strong> report that the marketing information<br />

system has improved, a sign of approval of the work of ONASA. At the same time, they say that the<br />

most important source of information about prices and markets is still friends and family. A study of<br />

users of ONASA data would help identify ways in which it could be made more useful to traders and<br />

farmers. Establishing a link between ONASA and the extension service would provide another method of<br />

dissemination for ONASA as well as helping the Centre d’Action Régionale pour le Développement<br />

Rural (CARDER) expand the range of services it provides to Benin’s farmers.<br />

Focus greater resources and attention to quality of rural road network. According to the<br />

surveys, farmers are generally positive about various changes in agricultural marketing and village leaders<br />

report improvements in market infrastructure, but both complain about the deterioration of rural roads.<br />

<strong>Of</strong>ten the solution lies not in merely investing more money in road building or maintenance, but in<br />

establishing institutional arrangements by which local resources can be mobilized and spent efficiently on<br />

local infrastructure.<br />

6.4 Summary of Results for Malawi<br />

<strong>In</strong> Malawi, the survey of the 800 randomly selected smallholder farmers, also called the IFPRI/APRU<br />

<strong>Smallholder</strong> Farmer Survey, reveals the following information.<br />

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