The effect of market information on maize prices in Mozambique

Using econometric models, this study evaluates the impact of the market information system on smallholder farmers commercializing maize in Mozambique. The access to improved market information on prices by farmers is an important challenge to allow them to plan their production, storage and commercialization of their surplus and get better prices in the market. Improving this system would contribute to increased profits and income of the households participating in the market, and through it contribute to poverty alleviation. Expansion of the system occurs by measuring and quantifying the potential benefits that the farmers could get from accessing quality information on prices The study finds that presence of and access to market information could be beneficial to the farmers and allows them to get higher prices compared to the situation of no access to information. However households headed by females are likely to get significant reductions in the prices than males.