multipurpose tree species research for small farms: strategies ... - part

through a form of informal collusive agreement.
The above suggests the need for government
intervention to lower the real costs of marketing
and improve the cempetitiveness of the
marketing system. A conceptual framework for
designing a plan to improve the marketing
system for small-scale tree farmers should
include the following components:
- provision of market information for all
market participants regarding supply,
demand, prices, grades, standards, and
alternative outlets to allow sound
decision-making;
- market infrastructure development focusing
on farm-to-market roads, storage and
processing facilities and public markets/
buying stations;
- promoting the adoption of post-harvest
technologies and villagc-level processing, ie.
cottage industries and small-scale furniture
and handicraft manufacturing for greater
value added and employment, through
extension on technical and market
information, training for entrepreneurial
skills and small-scale financing;
- strengthenin farmers' associations for
better bargaining power with input sources
and mar-Iet outlets;
- direct marketing assistance by helping
farmers find markets, in the conduct of
negotiations, and in formalizing marketing
agreements/linkages;
- development of a marketing extension
system for effective delivery of required
support services; and
- policy advocacy for favorable input-output
price structures and marketing subsidies for
small-scale farmers.
Implications for Research
Adevelopment strategy that focuses on
improving markets for small-scale agroforestry
farmers requires adding to the knowledge of
marketing systems through research. Most
studies in the Philippines have centered on
lowland agricultural systems. Research
assessing the effects of marketing systems on
small-scale farmers in the uplands is indequate.
Such research is necessary so that appropriate
48
programs may be developed for the farmers.
Whi e it is recognized that commonalities exist
in many LDCs, the marketing system of each
country is unique in view of the physical,
technological, social, cultural, political, and
external factors affecting the system. The
dynamic nature of the marketing system and the
growing complexity of rural markets as they
become exposed to outside forces implies the
need for sustained market research efforts.
Some of the issues and research methods
relevant for small-scale producers of
agroforestry products are listed below to
provide topics for developing a research
agenda. It is divided into subject matter areas
and methods in marketing research. The list is
not exhaustive and actual research proposals
must be based on priority considerations. The
approach depends on the research objectives,
availability of data, and background and
expertise of the researcher.
Subject Areas
Suggested topics include:
- supply and demand studies for agricultural
and tree products to identify demand
req uirements, supply pole ntials, surpluses
and shortages at the national, regional,
provincial and district levels;
- price analyses -- location/geographic price
differences; price differentials by grades,
quality, types of products; and temporal price
variations such as trends, seasonal, cyclical
and random movements;
- general marketing studies covering types of
products produced and marketed, product
disposal, product flows and market channels,
market intermediaries at various levels,
marketing functions, costs and margins,
volume traded, prices received and paid,
method of sale, method of payment, problems
and constraints;
- analysis of market structure, conduct and
performance using.specific criteria and
indicators;
- feasibility analysis of business ventures under
various marketing conditions such as
cooperative marketing, contract arrangement,
and small-scale processing;
- assessment of market infrastructure needs
of rural communities; and the