3. Working with farmers and traders

STAGE 3
WORKING WITH FARMERS AND TRADERS

A participatory approach

Before decisions are made about constructing new markets or improving existing markets full-scale consultations must be carried out with the likely users. These will obviously include farmers and traders and the needs of consumers must certainly be taken into account when planning retail markets. Such consultations should be designed to identify:

• the marketing problems facing the producers and market traders;

• possible ways of overcoming those problems;

• the location for any new market;

• whether surveys are needed, such as a detailed survey of users, and who pays for such surveys;

• whether the community is capable of setting up and running a market committee; and

• whether a sufficient number of producers and traders will benefit from market improvements and be willing to pay additional fees.

Consultation methods. There are many ways to consult with the users. A simple method is just to walk through a market with local traders and villagers and observe the existing conditions and problems. Another method is to use a simple questionnaire to find out the users’ opinions. For example, this might be used to find out the willingness of market traders to pay additional market fees for better facilities.

FAO/17860/A. Conti

Holding meetings with local people is an important way to ensure that new markets meet users’ needs.

FAO/16913/G. Thomas

Sometimes a more systematic approach is needed in order to gain insight into local conditions. An understanding of the cultural, social and marketing processes involved is required. The community’s perception of its marketing problems and their possible solutions also needs to be examined. The approaches used for consultation include:

• Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA). This method calls for the planner to visit communities and their markets in order to obtain information.

• Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA).With this method the planner assists a community to collect and analyse information and holds meetings at which local people are able to make proposals regarding what is required.

Key informants. Both of the above methods usually rely on using key informants (local “experts”), including formal and informal leaders, traders, women’s group representatives and teachers. Acquiring an insight into local knowledge is a significant benefit of the RRA and PRA processes. Planners should attempt to reach a real cross section of the community. For example, in societies where women do most of the shopping, and where their contact with outside males is either forbidden or frowned upon, it is essential that interviews with consumers be conducted by women.

Women are frequently able to provide the most valuable information on local markets.

FAO/13866/M. Allara-Carlin

Step 3.1
Consult with the users

Consultations that may be needed for marketing projects are listed below:

Communities. Discussions with communities are necessary to identify their marketing problems. A common approach is to undertake a PRA or RRA, as mentioned above. There are similarities between the methods and both may be used together. For example, in circumstances where financing is already available for construction, a PRA may be used to help select the location of the new market. Where there may be the possibility to upgrade a market, but only if it is financially feasible, it would be unfair to raise people’s expectations and an RRA may be used to identify present marketing problems. Subsequently, if proposals are shown to be viable, planners may return to the community to conduct a PRA in order to work out the proposals in detail.

Producers. To best understand their marketing problems, discussions with producers are better held at farm level. It is necessary to discuss their problems regarding access to markets to sell their produce. Producers’ organizations or associations could also be approached.

Market traders. Unless a traders’ association exists, discussions with traders are usually best undertaken on a one-to-one basis. There is often a “senior” person or elder who may be delegated to talk for other traders. Where new markets are being considered, meetings should be held at the sites where farmers and traders currently conduct business.

Consumers. A market, however well built, will fail if consumers do not want to use it. The main factor that influences the acceptability of a market to consumers is usually the location. If a location has already been identified, its suitability must be discussed with a sample of retail shoppers; if no site has been identified, individual or group meetings must be held with consumers to identify possible locations.

The best way of holding discussions with the users is usually through a series of meetings. This process could start with a brief introductory meeting, followed by meetings with key informants of community organizations, producers and traders. A final gathering would be necessary to draw up an assessment of the users’ needs (see Step 3.3).

Existing trading patterns may help to identify possible locations when planning new markets.

FAO/17847/A. Conti

Step 3.2
Provide support to the market committee

The most effective method of involving users in market development is to ensure that they are fully represented on a market committee. Such a committee may already exist; if not, it may be necessary to set one up. This is not an easy step to undertake, but is essential for achieving a sustainable market.

The mandate of the committee should be as flexible as possible in order to accommodate changes in its membership and its powers. Members of the committee should include traders, producers, the market’s manager and transporters. If possible, consumers and women’s groups should also be represented. Financial support may be necessary for the setting up of a market committee. The types of temporary support that could be provided to a committee are:

• minor financial support to cover travel and other expenses of the committee members;

• provision of space to hold meetings, such as a local government committee room; and

• secretarial assistance to prepare documentation.

Step 3.3
Assess user needs

As a result of consultations with market users a “needs assessment” can be developed. Once the problems have been identified, the users should try to prioritize them at the final meeting as a guide for the market designers (Stages 4 to 7) and as a basis for preparing an overall assessment of the project (Stage 8).When preparing the assessment it is a good idea to make experienced facilitators available at the meeting to help the users clarify and prioritize their problems. Facilitators could include representatives from the local departments of agriculture, planning, community development and rural engineering. Some of the physical, social and managerial issues that might be identified (based on the situation at an existing market) are shown in Table 3.

During consultations with the users some special requirements may be identified (such as a need for space to be reserved for women or cooperative groups). Such needs should initially be included in the overall assessment so that the practicality of meeting them is considered.

Table 3
Market needs assessment and ranking of users’ priorities
(1 = highest priority)