Is it possible to identify potential innovators, i.e.,

 individuals who have adopted improved management practices

 which could be transferred to others?

 What are the problems and opportunities for en-

 couraging improved distribution channel coordination

 through sequential introduction of new management practices

 and coordination arrangements?

 What are the alternative roles which the public

 sector can play in taking leadership to promote improved

 performance of marketing practices? What are the

 costs and benefits of pursuing these alternative roles.

 Public and semi-public enterprises play an important role in the

agricultural marketing systems of many less developed countries. Their

functions often involve the purchase, storage and distribution of large

volumes of domestically produced staple food commodities and the importation

of additional food supplies. In several instances, parastatal enterprises

have a central role in the development of export oriented agricultural

commodity systems. Due to size and nature of these public enterprises, it

is difficult to achieve and maintain high levels of economic performance.

There are the usual internal organization and management problems that

should be attended with a continuing applied research and educational program.

But there are larger, more troublesome problems regarding the appropriate

role of the public agency in relation to the private sector, the distortion

of real price-cost relationships through the use of taxing and subsidy powers

and the ever present possibility of political manipulation and corruption where

large amounts of money and commodities are being handled. This is an area

that needs careful evaluation through a series of case studies from which a

set of guidelines might be derived for the organization and operation of public