As farmers become more market oriented, so extension workers need to be in a position to advise them not only on how to grow crops but also on how to market them. A knowledge of produce handling, storage and packaging is also essential. Marketing training is therefore vital for extension workers. 

To assist governments to develop extension skills in marketing FAO has a range of training materials.

Horticultural Marketing - Marketing Extension Guide No. 5 provides detailed advice on marketing and post-harvest matters and suggests ways in which the extension worker can assist farmers to identify markets for their produce.

Horticultural Marketing - a training video is intended to enhance the ability of extension workers to support farmers. It is likely to be used primarily by agricultural colleges.

Horticultural Marketing - Extension Techniques is a more advanced video to advise extension workers on how to carry out their marketing functions in a practical way. It is also available in VCD format and on YouTube .

An understanding of costs and margins is essential for all those involved with agricultural marketing. Farmers seeking to produce new crops need to be aware not only of their likely production costs but also of the costs of marketing these crops. Extension workers need to be able to advise them on such matters. A Guide to Marketing Costs and how to calculate them can be downloaded here in pdf format (2.5mb). Hard copies can also be requested.

see also:
Maize marketing extension
Understanding and using market information