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.