Private and public sectors in developing country grain markets : organization issues and options in Senegal

One hallmark of the policy packages being advocated is increased reliance on the private sector to carry out the agricultural marketing tasks which before independence were handled by public and parastatal agencies. Faced with high costs, considerable unreimbursed credit, and a variety of other factors, Senegal abolished its de facto national grain and oilseeds marketing board in 1980 and embarked on an experiment involving both the development of a legal private grain trade and occasional forays into the grain market by a public agency - the Food Security Commissariat. This paper uses survey data to examine the grain marketing system which has developed in Senegal and explores the policy issues and options raised by the Senegalese experience. Findings suggest that where private and public market alternatives exist side by side, policymaking is a difficult task, but actual implementation of government policy decisions (e.g., enforcing a price policy) can be even harder. (Author abstract, modified)