Authors: Peter J. Batt
In the transitional economies, it is often assumed that the many small farmers arevulnerable to exploitation by market intermediaries. However, in the North Vietnamesepotato industry, there is little evidence to support this proposition. In the small villages,many traders and collector agents operate. Business relationships are governed more bysocial norms than the use of coercive market power. Even in the metropolitan centres,where at the wholesale level the market is most concentrated, wholesalers are moredependent on the traders that supply them and the down-stream retailers to whom theysell potatoes. In this highly competitive environment, the use of coercive market poweris ineffective as a means of coordinating the market.
Journal: ( – )
Web Address:
Publish Year: 2004
Conference: Copenhagen, Denmark (2004)