College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Project Name:          National Marketing Program for Agricultural Products in Colombia - LAMP Country Study *
Donor:                       Government of Colombia and the Agency for International Development
Contract No:              AID/LA-C-1116
Account No:              71-2001
Location:                   Colombia
Duration:                    October 1975 - December 1976
Budget:                      $87,887

Key MSU Faculty:     K. Harrison (Agricultural Economics); M Weber, H. Riley, J. Shaffer (Agricultural Economics)

Documents:                (Click here to view)

Project Goals:           To create a coordinated national marketing program capable of handling increased agricultural production and, at the same time, capable of reducing as much as possible the loss of products and the relatively high costs of the present marketing and distribution system; to help join and coordinate the efforts and activities of the various groups and organizations presently working in this field.

Project Plans/Objectives:

• To advise and coordinate the implementation of a national agricultural marketing program, taking into account mainly the official institutional organization and the resources available to the National Government and to the regional semi-official marketing agencies such as CORABASTOS, EMCOPER, Enterprises of Medellin, CAVASA, etc.
• To inform the Chief of OPSA regularly of events that occur in the development of the program.    
• To collaborate with the Chief of OPSA in the establishment of a work group with the appointment of one representative each from IDEMA, CECORA, CAJA AGRARIA, INAGRARIO, CORABASTOS, COFIAGRO, and ICA.
• To work out jointly with the OPSA group, within the first months of the principal investigator's residence in Colombia, a tentative program for the foreign short-term experts.
• To evaluate the agricultural marketing training programs that are promoted regularly in Colombia with the purpose of suggesting modifications that may contribute to their improvement.
• To prepare a plan for exterior training covering the most important needs of the agricultural sector.
• To prepare and/or recommend feasibility studies on marketing and distribution facilities. and systems, such as: a) marketing and price information; b) regulations and compliance with those regulations; c) transportation and handling systems--both refrigerated and non-refrigerated facilities; d) refrigerated and non-refrigerated storage facilities; e) physical marketing facilities; f) incentives to improve marketing systems; g) provide technical assistance to both retailers and wholesalers; and h) stimulation of institutional reforms.

Cooperating Institutions: Agricultural Sector Planning Office, Ministry of Agriculture (OPSA); National Planning Department (DNP); Agrarian Reform Cooperatives Central (CECORA); Commodity Supply Corporation of Bogota (CORABASTOS); Agricultural Financing Corporation (COFIAGRO); Agricultural Credit Bank (Caja Agraria); Perishable Products Marketing Enterprise (EMCOPER); Commodity Supply Corporation of Cauca Valley (CAVASA)

Project Summary: This contract was essentially a continuation of relation-ships between MSU and the Government of Colombia in agricultural marketing that were in effect for about 5 years. It provides for the long-term involvement of K. Harrison and the short-term involvement of MSU consultants who, by and large, had gained much of their expertise from former participation in LAMP related projects.  This project also constitutes the final undertaking under the general auspices of the MSU-based LAMP organization.

Documents From/About This Project:

• Mercadeo Agropecuario en Colombia: Diagnostico General del Sistema y Propuestas Para su Mejoramiento. 1976.  Por Hernan Cardoso Y Kelly Harrison
• Evaluation of Food Market Reform: Corabastos, Bogota.  I976. By Alvario Silva.  Ph.D. Dissertation.  Michigan State University (Full text version )

* This description is adapted from work by Nancy E. Horn, an MSU alumnus from the Anthropology Department, published in 1985 “A Project History of Michigan State University’s Participation in International Development for the period 1951 – 1985”.  See AFRE Emeritus Faculty - Acknowledgements