Role of facilitators in Marketing Agricultural products

Performance Objectives

Students should be able to:

1. Explain the meaning of facilitators.

2. Describe the roles of facilitators in marketing agricultural products.

Content

i. Facilitators

ii. Roles of facilitators in food processing industries.

Meaning of Facilitators

Facilitators are described as a marketing channel or channel of distribution is the network of organisations that creates time, place and possession utilities for consumers and business users.

Public storage firms, insurance companies, finance companies, market research firms and several other types of firms and organisations which frequently enhance, promote and facilitate the production and availability in term of offering help, assistance and aid towards the distribution of finished products in other to be accessible to consumers could be regarded as facilitators.

Roles of Facilitators

1. They assist in food processing e.g. agricultural research institutes such as NISER, IAR & T, IITA, CRIN among others help to discover good planting seeds and manufacturing of both industrial machines and farm inputs.

2. They offer loans to farmers, business and merchant people e.g Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank(NACB) now proscribed, Community Banks & Finance Homes, Merchant Banks give out loan to producers and manufacturers with a view to facilitating availability and distribution of products to the nearness of the ultimate consumers.

3. Cooperative assistance

   It includes (a) Consumer cooperative society

                    (b) Producer cooperative society

                   ( c) Credit and thrift cooperative society

The essence of cooperative is to assist members and non-members to obtain and have access to loans which could be paid with interest with a view to promote, facilitate and enhance the business of merchants which invariably encourages the distribution of goods and services

4. They provide mobility for transporting products from the place of manufacturing to where they are needed.

5. They offer free business advise, prepare business blueprint, proposal otherwise known as feasibility studies to new entrants into the business.

6. They offer insurance service such as fire, theft and life insurance with a view to prepare and plan for risks that may result in a business transaction.

7. They offer legal advice and counselling to business owner with a view of knowing the rules and regulations, interpretation of government policies, national and state assembly laws and edicts among others.

8. They perform other legitimate and civilised functions.

9. They give training on how to preserve perishable products.