Managing agricultural price volatility in Central and West Africa - Context Substances for Policy Effectiveness

Managing agricultural price volatility in Central and West Africa - Context Substances for Policy Effectiveness Most Central and West African countries have been implementing policies to stabilize agricultural prices but millions of Dollars have been wasted on misguided effort to revolutionize such policies with no clear benefits to end users. One thing is absolutely clear. National specificities are not always taken into account. Even in cases where national governments try to prioritize agricultural prizing equilibrium, they fail most often to recognize regional (Community) peculiarities. Soaring agricultural prices in 2009/2012, followed by decreasing prices have placed the management of agricultural price volatility at the heart of policy debates. These countries have implemented policies to limit agricultural price volatility and its adverse effects, without always achieving the expected results. Analysis of a research funded by SuccezGuide into recent experiences in Africa shows that in order to be effective, a policy measure must meet four conditions: it must be based on robust knowledge; it must be predictable; its funding must be secured; and its enforcement must be monitored.

SuccezGuide Consulting offers a series of training workshops that equips policy makers in Agricultural pricing with hands-on-desk experience for effective management of agricultural price volatility.