Market Access: a major constraint for African farmers

Market accessibility has been identified as a major challenge for formers, which has prevented them from selling their agricultural outputs adequately.

NaijaAgroNet notes that this has affected productivity as there is no point in producing more products when the already produced ones are not being marketed, either due to lack of access road or middlemen’s exploit.

With more than 60 per cent of rural people living and growing their crops in places that are more than 2 kilometres away from a road where vehicles could pass year-round, and half of these rural roads are also in poor conditions and others completely un-motorable; these result in increase transport costs with its effect on food prices.

SPORE recorded that country like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has had her internal movement of foods cut off as farmers could not get their products out any longer unless they are being carried by women or on bicycles.

In order to control the bad roads in Africa, there is a need for huge investment and the involvement of all sectors which may include donors, private companies, local communities and of course governments. Good road is a necessity if farmers will have to supply their agricultural outputs to local, regional and national markets.

Yinka Awosanya/LS

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