Mistowa network and the Agribusiness Information Points concept (ABIP)
The network of regional market information systems and traders organizations of West Africa supports price collection and dissemination
The network of regional market information systems and traders organizations of West Africa (MISTOWA www.mistowa.org) aims to increase regional agricultural trade and food security by improving and linking the existing regional efforts to generate, disseminate, and make commercial use of market information.
MISTOWA project has been supporting existing public Market Information Systems. In particular, material and technical support has been provided to the major regional network (RESIMAO / WAMIS www.resimao.org) which provides information on 400 rural and urban agricultural commodity markets. The West African agricultural trade platform (www.tradenet.biz and www.wa-agritrade.net) provides most of this information on the Internet.
MISTOWA also assists a variety of other partners to create «Agribusiness Information Points». These partners include Producers’ and Traders’ Organizations, and other marketing support structures such as chambers of agriculture and commerce, and information centers. Beneficiaries in this case are at the same time suppliers, vectors and users of adequate information for business decision-making at the local, national or regional level, or within a specific agricultural sub sector.
Training sessions are organized by MISTOWA for the creation and efficient management of an ABIP or network of ABIPs. A guide has been produced for these training sessions. Th following issues are adressing :
- The ABIP concept
- Adapting the concept to the characteristics of your organization ABIPs must and should....
- Defining the range and costs of services offered by the ABIP
- Tracking frequency of visits to your ABIP, by whom and for what services
- Monitoring your ABIP’s income and expenditures
- Useful websites and contact
The full document is available for download:
