Institutional Reform of Marketing and Related Services to Agriculture, With Particular Reference to Africa

Over the decades to 1980 agricultural marketing and input supply systems came increasingly under official monopolies. Dissatisfaction with the incentives offerred to producers and with the costs to governments has sparked interest in reform. Practicable ways of introducing more competition and mobilizing potential individual initiatives are presented. Obstacles to progress in this direction include political commitments of governments, ethnic concerns and patronage interests. External aid can help ease these constraints.