Agricultural markets in most developing countries
have been liberalised since the 1980s. Reforms in the sector focused
primarily on dismantling state intervention, with little emphasis
on developing institutions that reduce cost and uncertainty in commodity
marketing. NRI has, since the 1990s, been a lead player in researching
as well as developing and piloting solutions to problems that hamper
agricultural marketing in developing countries.
Traditional grain storage stores in SSA
Its flagship innovation is the Regulated Warehouse
Receipt System, intended to simultaneously ease access to finance
and shorten the marketing chain by allowing producer groups to sell
directly to processors, large traders, exporters and importers.
NRI has worked extensively in this area, as shown
in the following key assignments and list of publications given
below. For a copy of these reports please request a copy from us.
PUBLICATIONS
Coulter, J. (1998). Making the Transition to a
Market-Based Grain Marketing System [PDF
282Kb].
Coulter J.P. and Onumah, G. (2002). “The role
of Warehouse Receipt Systems in Enhanced Commodity Marketing and
Rural Livelihoods in Africa”, Food Policy, Vol. 27, Issue
No. 4. [Word 234Kb]
Onumah, G. (2003). Improving Access to Rural Finance
through Regulated Warehouse Receipt Systems in Africa. Paper Presented
At Conference on “Paving the Way Forward for Rural Finance:
An International Conference on Best Practices” Washington,
2-4 June 2003 [Word 108Kb]
Onumah, G. and Coulter, J. (2000). Discussion Paper
- A Review of the Maize Commodity System in Ghana. NRI, UK [Word
293Kb]
Onumah, G. (2002). Facilitating Smallholder Access
to Warehouse Receipt System in Zambia: Review of Options Report
Prepared for the Zambian Agricultural Commodity Agency Ltd. NRI,
UK [Word 1.3Mb]
Implementation of Warehouse Receipt Projects for
Coffee and Cotton in Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, (Funded by CFC).
Mid-term review of Warehouse Receipts Projects to
Develop Coffee and Cotton Marketing Systems in Tanzania, Uganda
and Zimbabwe, (Funded by CFC).
Executing Agency for Projects to Improve Food Systems
in Ethiopia, Ghana and Zambia using Warehousing and Inventory Credit,
(Funded by CFC, DFID, the Dutch Government and IFAD).
Warehousing Receipt Finance Project Preparation
Missions in Mozambique, (Funded by FAO/EU).
Production of a Road-Map for the Establishment of
Warehouse Receipts System in India, (Funded by the WB).
Feasibility Study on Improving Grain Marketing Systems
in Western Kenya through the Implementation of Warehouse Receipt
Financing Systems, (Funded by WB).
Scope for Warehouse Receipt Systems in Senegal,
(Funded by USAID).