MAIZE MARKET REFORM IN ZIMBABWE

A major constraint on the design and implementation of grain market li beralization throughout the world is governments' concerns with retain ing enough influence over the evolving system to distribute prices and incomes to various groups in politically desired ways. This article c onsiders the effects of alternative forms of maize market reform on va rious socioeconomic groups and the marketing board's operations in Zim babwe. Based on results of a dual-market, spatial equilibrium model, p artial and more complete reform create substantially different distrib utional effects. However, urban consumers and many rural smallholders would be better off with either consumers and many rural smallholders would be better off with either configuration of market reform consipr ices. The full benefits of market reform require active government sup port for the development of private trade.