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D-market-agent Dictionary

Market agent

A licensed seller who sells a farmer's produce on a fresh-produce market for a commission

All termsIntroduced in Module 4Open the Toolkit
An open dictionary on a farm office desk
Plain meaning
A licensed seller who sells a farmer's produce on a fresh-produce market for a commission
How to use it
When selling through a fresh-produce market, choose an agent with a good sales record for the crop and check how and when they pay. The agent's commission is a selling cost in the budget.
South African benchmark
South Africa's national fresh-produce markets, led by Johannesburg, sell through licensed agents.
Country notes
Formal market-agent systems are smaller in the four local markets, where much produce moves through wholesalers and informal traders.
Go and read
C4 Lesson 4.1
Calculate it
T-C-05 Delivered Cost Calculator
Library sources
LIB-A047
See also
Commission, Consignment, Farm-gate price
Route from farm gate to consumer with each party’s share of the priceFrom farm gate to buyer: who takes a share of the priceYour farmfarm-gate priceTransportR per tonne-kmMarket agentcommission %Retaileror processorConsumershelf priceFarmTransportAgentRetailShare of the shelf price (illustrative split)Selling closer to the consumer keeps more of the price on the farm, but adds cost and work.
From Module 4, Getting to the Buyer, where this term is introduced.

Introduced in C4 Getting to the Buyer.