1) Contributions of SMEs to rural development increasingly recognized. 2) Trends enhancing SMEs roles: a) growth of off farm activities; b) shift from supply to demand orientation; c) weak linkages ¿ constraint to tech adoption; d) filling in gap in supply and service delivery ¿ job for enterprises. 3) Challenges raised: a) SME upgrading - meet quality requirement of the market; b) understanding the market ¿ nature and complexity; c) fostering Agri SME competitiveness: science and technology, new types partnerships, missing link, cases on what worked and failed