Deutscher Tropentag, October 8 - 10, 2003 in Göttingen "Technological and Institutional Innovations for Sustainable Rural Development"

Optimizing Agricultural Product Utilisation from Small-Scale Farm Production – The Case of Neem in Sudan

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Development Planning and Project Management, Germany

Abstract

The small quantities produced, personnel capacities, uncertainty and risk faced by the rural households usually limit the marketing range of the surplus production in developing countries. Some of these products are highly demanded on national and international markets but cannot be channelled into these markets because of missing or inappropriate marketing schemes. Various approaches in the past were developed under the prerequisite of large production schemes and quasi-monocultural environments. These approaches do not meet the requirements for the utilization of agricultural products from Small-Scale Farm Production.

The presented study has investigated the opportunities and worked out a methodology to assist in planning and setting up marketing schemes for the utilization of widely distributed already available farm products from small-scale farm households on the case of Neem in Sudan. The study incorporates environmental, economical and social determinants and their spatial distribution optimizing a marketing scheme in order to benefit a private sector company, demanding the product and carrying out the investment as well as the producers, owning and supplying the agricultural products. The model rests basically on the supply demand equilibrium. This equilibrium is extended by spatial and environmental determinants on both sides of the equilibrium equation.

The supply and demand meet locationally in Collection Centres which are satellite stations spatially distributed depending on the potential production in certain areas. The different characteristics of the supply and the demand assign an interface function to the collection centres joining a modern economy favoured by the company and a traditional economy favoured by the farm households. Furthermore, the collection centres have to fulfil a buffer function smoothing the seasonal supply by the producers and the continuous demand from the company. The only way to fulfil this buffer effect is the decentralization of the production line through the company.

Keywords: Marketing, neem, planning, small-scale farm, Sudan

Contact Address: Johannes Peschke, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Development Planning and Project Management, Philippstraße 13, Haus 12, 10115 Berlin, Germany, e-mail: johannes.peschkerdc-bonn.de