Initiatives on Linking Small Farmers to the Market

Lany V. Rebagay, AsiaDHRRA program officer presented a paper o­n “Empowering and Engaging Rural People with the Market” in a seminar workshop sponsored by FAO and hosted by VECO last May 8-12, 2006 in Bali, Indonesia.

The seminar was attended by about 50 participants representing various NGOs, development groups, market players and actors, and support service sectors coming from the different parts of Southeast Asia. The four-day program recognized the &emerging roles for NGOs, farmer groups, and the farmers themselves vis-à-vis current market requirements. There was a growing consensus among the participants that NGOs should focus on capturing and packaging appropriate market information that will guide farmers in making important decisions related to production and marketing. They also emphasized the need for establishing cooperation with the academe in assessing marketing channels particularly in identifying how the risks and benefits are shared within the supply chain.

To push forward the efforts of linking small farmers to the market, AsiaDHRRA is currently exploring cooperation with partners in mapping of existing marketing initiatives in the region and in countries particularly in southeast Asia. In partnership with AFA, an inventory of existing marketing efforts is being undertaken as an input for developing a more coordinated marketing effort among the farmers in the region. The inventory was presented during the Farmer exchange visit in Japan o­n July 3-10, 2006.