Agricultural auction markets in Sudan: their role, market mechanisms and performance

The paper overviews the current marketing system in crop markets in Sudan; introduces the concept of crop auction markets in a Sudanese context and searches for reasons why these transaction systems are not widely adopted in its agricultural markets. The paper examines the probable role and impact of auction market systems on the market mechanisms if they are widely employed. The paper calls for employment of qualified managers for successful auction markets with adequate information systems and financial support by new financial products such as bonds. The paper recommends expansion of auctions to other crops as well as to the secondary markets. Concerns as whether auction markets should be managed by the private or the public sector needs to be settled through further discussion, however, and in either way; there should be some independent review of their efficiency as alternative markets after being widely operated in real world terms.