Rapid Market Appraisal (RMA)

The advent of market economies and improved rural infrastructure has expanded commercial opportunities to many farm communities. However, traditional tree management often leaves communities ill-equipped to produce reliable quantities of high-quality products that meet market specifications. Smallholders generally have weak market linkages and poor access to market information (Hammett 1994; Arocena-Fransico et al. 1999). Working in the Philippines, Predo (2002) found that tree farming was more profitable than annual crop production, but uncertain marketing conditions deterred tree planting. The existence of accessible markets for tree products is a vital criterion for site selection (Scherr 1999 and 1995; Landell-Mills 2002). Otherwise, the development of economically viable systems is doubtful. Experience in Indonesia indicates that farmers generally: i) lack access to market information (product demand, specifications and prices); ii) lack understanding of market channels; iii) produce products of unreliable quality and quantity; iv) rarely engage in grading to improve product quality (and their profit-margin); and v) sell their products as individuals (Roshetko and Yulianti, 2002; Roshetko . 2002). These conditions also have negative consequences for market agents. They spend a lot of time and other resources searching for, collecting and sorting smallholder products of small quantity and various quality. Most smallholder farmers do not fully understand local markets. They typical sell products to through middlemen and are unaware of the final customer. They seldom engage in post-harvest activities. Farmers tend to produce and sell agricultural products according to local norms, competing with neighbors for a small part of the marke

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