Senen Bacani

 Higher incomes and changing lifestyles will drive the production of premium products conveniently and attractively packaged  Critical to pay similar attention, as in production, to post production activities (processing, distribution, marketing, etc) in order to maximize the value chain  Growing concentration at all levels particularly in the retail and processing sectors; Agribusiness enterprises are getting larger as firms seek economies of scale  As supermarkets take on more and more of total food retail sales, product quality improvement, industrial packaging will be emphasized more

 The proliferation of private sector standards on food quality and safety will at some point provide added value for which the customer will be willing to pay  The growth of agribusiness can also be aided by government policies which will give incentives for the establishment and or expansion of businesses  It is important that the public sector provides the public goods that the small producer cannot provide by himself  Makes sense for the producer just to stick to core competencies

 As increasing concentration and vertical integration continues, producers displaced in the process will have to be assisted with alternative opportunities  Some big buyers/processors of agricultural commodities have taken it upon themselves to make sure that the small producers directly benefit from their direct linkage  The role of the middlemen will gradually reduce over time as his traditional functions decrease with the establishment of more direct linkages  In the end, what is most important is that all players in the value chain get their equitable share from the total composite of their transactions

Thank you!