Using the participatory market chain approach to help smallholder farmers market their produce

Discussions and structured interactions between farmers and the different actors involved throughout the market chain can help to stimulate joint innovations based on shared ideas and mutual trust.

Most Nepalese rural smallholder landowners are subsistence farmers; when they attempt to produce high value crops such as vegetables for income generation they are often disappointed because they end up selling their produce at local markets for marginal profits. They mostly work alone and, for the most part, their efforts are poorly rewarded, since every step of the value chain is either unmanaged, badly structured, or otherwise uncoordinated. A first step towards addressing the myriad challenges and special needs faced by these smallholder farmers can be to use an adapted version of the participatory market chain approach (PMCA). This approach can help them to improve their livelihoods by building their capacity and assisting them to coordinate and form linkages with other smallholder producers and actors all along the market chain.

Bhalam and Dhikurpokhari VDC, Kaski District, Western Development Region, Nepal

WOCAT database reference: QA NEP 33

Location: Bhalam and Dhikurpokhari VDC, Kaski District, Western Development Region, Nepal.

Approach area: 10–100 km²

Land use: Annual cropping

Type of approach: Project/programme based

Focus: Marketing of agricultural commodities

Related technology: Tomato grafting QT NEP 33

Stakeholders/target groups: Land users, individuals and group

Compiled by: Bharat Nepal, programme officer, International Development Enterprises (IDE) Nepal, Regional Office, Pokhara, Kaski District, Nepal

Date: December 2010, updated March 2013

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• Using the participatory market chain approach to help smallholder farmers market their produce