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Unlocking markets to smallholder farmers: the potential role of contracting

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Unlocking markets to smallholders

Part of the book series: Mansholt Publication Series ((MAUSHOLT,volume 10))

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Abstract

In every ‘underdeveloped’ country I know of, marketing is the most underdeveloped or least developed part of the economy….[Marketing] would make the producers capable of providing marketable products by providing them with standards, with quality demands and with specifications for their product. It would make the product capable of being brought to markets instead of perishing on the way (Drucker, 1958).

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Correspondence to Jan A. Groenewald .

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Groenewald, J.A., Klopper, J., van Schalkwyk, H.D. (2012). Unlocking markets to smallholder farmers: the potential role of contracting. In: van Schalkwyk, H.D., Groenewald, J.A., Fraser, G.C.G., Obi, A., van Tilburg, A. (eds) Unlocking markets to smallholders. Mansholt Publication Series, vol 10. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-168-2_6

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