ABSTRACT
The Ecuadorian agricultural marketing system presents a complex set of problems reflecting several basic conditions including the geographic and related agricultural diversity of the country, the export orientation of a major portion of the agricultural sector and the relatively weak infrastructure and institutional support for marketing. Assessment of the Ecuadorian agricultural marketing system should recognize that private enterprises are and will likely continue to be the primary providers of marketing services. To respond to the changing demands for food and marketing services and to accommodate the changing patterns and increasing volume of agricultural production, the agricultural marketing system must evolve over time. The principle agricultural marketing subsystems are Costa grains, Sierra food crops, poultry, beef, milk, oil crops, fruits and vegetables and export crops. All five Sierra food crops are generally sold in small lots to local assemblers by individual farmers.
