by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
A proper market for agricultural produce and farmers is a major gap that exists and today affects many farmers throughout the world.
During the seventh Regional Policy Dialogue for Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific, discussions were based on the gap between farmers and the market.
According to Dr Cecep Effendi, the director general for the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), “agriculture is a main income earner for our rural people and having a market is very important.”
Seen as the barrier, an adopted policy applied and used by Malaysia was presented for discussion. It is the policy of bringing the market to the farmers, with Dr Cecep describing the policy as one that can be adopted and used by other member countries.
The policy allows the farmers to go directly to the market instead of going through a middle man.
Representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Philipines, Indionesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iran, Malaysia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Lao PDR, India and Fiji were present during the meeting.
