Statutory Marketing Authorities in the Third World

Abstract

USTRACT. The roles of statutory marketing authorities (SMAs) in agricultural sectors of developing countries are increasingly coming under scrutiny. Some countries have even begun to d~smantle such institutions, or at least restrict. their operations and owers. It is timely, .therefore, to review the background and per f ormance of these auihorities, as a prelude to an assessment of their possible future role in agricultural development.A wide sample of documenta evidence is assembled containing evidence on the performance o r statutory marketing authorities in developing country agriculture. Activities of the various authorities have been examined in both the food and export cash crop markets.It is concluded that there is little evidence that SMAs have achieved significant improvement in most marketing functions, and a good deal of evidence that they have worsened marketing performance. These findings raise fundamental questions about their future status as vehicles for agricultural development. BACKGROUND AND HISTORY

Food assembly markets in Africa: lessons from the horticultural sector of Kenya

“…In the 1970s, marketing boards monopolized the grain trade in many African countries. The results were disastrous in many cases, and many such boards were abolished or lost their trade monopoly in the 1980s[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Since then, grain trade has been left to the private sector.…”