Throughout this manual, MIOA presents and analyzes different instruments and techniques of analysis that make it possible to better appreciate and understand the structure, behavior and operation of markets, particularly agricultural ones. It also considers the factors that determine the supply and demand for goods, the formation of prices, especially prices linked to agricultural products, and the types of market structure that exist and their main implications for decision-making. The reader will also find the sources that explain price variations and learn about the concepts of trend, cycle, seasonality and volatility that apply to all time series, the basic techniques used to decompose and analyze these components separately, and their principal uses and/or practical applications. Finally, users of this manual will be able to recognize and understand some basic tools for conducting technical analyses of prices, and gain a grasp of the origin and importance of bilateral and multilateral trade in agricultural products, having studied the main variables that have to be taken into account to better understand the links between the prices of agricultural products, as well as the level of integration of different markets.

Additionallly, you can enroll on the free and self-managed virtual courses of "Basic Agricultural Price Analysis" through the platform elearning.iica.int.