EXTENSION SERVICES FOR AGRICULTURAL MARKETING

In the simplest form agricultural marketing can be defined as working with actual and potential buyers of a product to bring about exchanges to meet the requirements of the consumer. Marketing extension covers all marketing activities from production to the retail level and can be effective in putting the farmers in touch with the reality of the market. With growing globalization of markets and increasing reliance throughout the world on the open market, the role of marketing extension will become increasingly important. It has become increasingly accepted that for farmers to increase their production and income, adequate attention must be paid to marketing. The small farm sector needs to be commercialized by developing market-oriented production. Successful commercialization of this sector will depend on the orientation of production to meet market demands. This paper provides some information on the agricultural marketing systems that exists in Trinidad, farmers' decision as to the choice of crops grown and attempts to analyze how best marketing extension can be earned out within the present extension service