The USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity (Ag Extension Project) organized a “Participatory Market System Development (PMSD)” training for its project staff in Khulna during January 10-14, 2016. The training was facilitated by the Practical Action-Bangladesh at the CSS Ava Center, Khulna. The facilitators of the training were Mr. MirzaKholilZibran, Mr. ShaibalBarua and Ms. IshratShabnam.

The main objective of the training is to give intensive technical training to project staff on Value Chain and the market development. From the training the staff learned about the market, market system, market development, and Participatory Market System Development (PMSD) analysis. They also learned about the comparison between enterprise development and PMSD approach.

The staff learned to develop generic and sub sector/ value chain based market maps and PMSD road map. They also learned to use PMSD tools and its applications.

The training also taught the project staff on services, service providers, service providers’ forums, market development techniques for services, required institutional structure for services enhancement, etc. It also taught about the demand and supply analysis for different services.

The project staff divided into groups also visited fields to analyze value chain based products and prepared product wise work plans at the end of the training session.

A total of 29 project staff including Regional Managers (RMs), District Managers (DMs), Regional Training Coordinators (RTCs), M&E Coordinators and Agriculture Extension and Marketing Officers (AEMOs) were present at the training session.

The training was inaugurated by Mr. Bidyuth K. Mahalder, the Chief of Party of the Ag Extension Project. Mr. Mahalder hoped that with this timely training the project staff would be able to link the market actors, service providers and the project beneficiaries more effectively and productively at field levels.