UP Mindanao hosts international conference on "Responding to the Challenge of Linking Smallholder Producers to Dynamic Markets"

The UP Mindanao School of Management held an international conference titled, "Responding to the Challenge of Linking Smallholder Producers to Dynamic Markets" from July 8-12, 2008 at the Waterfront Insular Hotel, Davao City.

Small producers in the developing countries are experiencing difficulty in accessing opportunities presented by nontraditional markets. Fuelled by rising population and greater urbanization, rising income, and an increasing demand for food safety, modern retailers are gaining an increasing share of the food market. Smallholder producers often find it difficult to access these markets due to their inability to meet quality requirements, required volumes, variety and stability of supply. These constraints are magnified by inadequacies in post-harvest facilities, inventory and logistics management, and governance mechanisms that result in the failure to provide cost competitive products.

Furthermore, the lack of financial resources limits the capacity of farmers to cope with the credit terms often utilized by these modern markets, and their ability to invest in appropriate technologies to better improve performance.

More information at http://www.upmin.edu.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=147