Poor farmers in developing countries are often cut off from global markets. They produce largely for their own consumption and sell only a small share of their surplus harvests.
Policy interventions can help farmers connect to markets by reducing the costs and risks associated with farming. This can be realized by creating a stable environment and investing in transportation and related infrastructure such as provision of effective market information systems.
 Business Times Staff Writer CHELU MATUZYA interviewed some farmers and food sellers at Kisutu market on the challenges they get in accessing market and this is what they said:

‘Fake and unfair’
MASOUD GASPAR
Food seller
Fake goods have greatly hindered easy accessibility of market by farmers in the country. Unlike in the past, many products are doing poorly due to this heightened and unfair competion by these cheap imported goods.
I think the government should step in and streamline the importation business so as to protect the local market. If this sector receives the due attention and support it deserves, there would be stable food production and good market for farmers’ produce. This would in turn shield the consumers from impromptu rise in food prices.

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Too cheap, farmers in the wood
BULA MAPUNDA
Farmer
The presence of cheap imported commodities in our markets posses a great challenge to farming business. Food is nowadays very cheap in the market and the local farmer hardly secures an adequate market with good returns for his produce.
As a result, many farmers opt to selling their products in major cities like Arusha, Mwanza and Dar es Salaam hoping to get good prices.  Ironically, they end up flooding those markets and end up disposing them off at the very low prices they were trying to avoid.

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Modernizing market way forward
MOHAMED SALUM
Chairman of Kisutu market
There is an urgent need to expand and modernize our market facilities. Business is all about competition but for this to be effective; we need to provide adequate space and opportunity.
Our farmers are faced with the challenge of inadequate buildings for storage and sale of produces. Those that are available are old and incapable of serving the increased number of consumers.
The government therefore should try to build as many markets as possible, with good infrastructure that will allow easy accessibility by the buyers.
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At the mercy of exploiters
 
ALLY SULEIMANI
Farmer and food seller
The biggest challenge that we, as rice growers, face is lack of mechanism for price fixing for our products. This makes us easy prey to middlemen’s exploitation. This being a harvesting season, many farmers will be tricked into selling their products cheaply due to increased supply.
For farming to be profitable to the farmer, the government must look into ways of addressing the price issue and seek ways of protecting the farmer from exploitation.

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Low demand killing us
ABDUL HUSSEIN
Food seller
I sell Peanuts but its market is very low at the moment. A 100kg bag of nuts currently sells at Tsh.40,000 down from Tsh.90,000 it used to fetch sometimes back. Partly to blame for the price surge is surplus production coupled with low demand.
This is a very big challenge to those of us who sell this product because it hardly pays. I feel that the situation could be reversed if the government would enhance accessibility of wider local and international market.