Impact of food commodity pricing, marketing and distribution on the domestic market

Abstract

During the last Decade, African States had to evaluate their economic performance and to redefine their trade policies. In fact, stagnation of agricultural production compounded by the limited range and volume of various commodities, the concentration of industrial units in urban areas and the rigidness of conditions of access to bank credits constituted considerable constraints to the development of African trade. And in pursuing their objectives on food self-sufficiency and me various African programmes, namely: The Lagos Plan of Action (LPA), the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development (UN-PAAERD) Africa's Priority Programme for Economic Recovery (APPER) and the African Alternative Framework to Structural Adjustment Programmes for Socio-economic Recovery and Transformation (AAF-SAP) laid emphasis on agricultural development while giving particular attention to an efficient trade policy. However, the measures and steps taken to meet domestic demand and other economic development needs have not been coherent with the set objective.