Fertilizer in Indonesian Agriculture: the Subsidy Issue

Indonesia began subsidizing fertilizer in 1971 to encourage its use as a complement to the new, high-yielding rice varieties that were becoming available. While providing considerable assistance to encouraging farmers to utilize these new HYVs and the associated package of inputs, the subsidy for fertilizer has attracted considerable attention in the light of the increasing budget limitations in Indonesia. The high levels of fertilizer and HYV use, the rapidly changing elasticities and cross elasticities among the major food crops, and the growing intersectoral linkages in the Indonesian economy suggest reasons for re-assessment of the subsidy for fertilizer. The operation of the subsidy is explained, followed by a discussion of changes in the relevant elasticities for demand and supply of commodities and fertilizer. A static welfare analysis of the fertilizer subsidy is presented, showing that the economic subsidy is worth only 42% of the financial subsidy and that farmers are receiving only 7% of the financial subsidy. A simulation of the effects on the food crop sector of removing the subsidy follows the welfare analysis. The paper concludes with an exploration of the policy issues stemming from the results.     

Sudan's agricultural sector diversity and policy reforms with reference to devaluation and food self‐sufficiency

Abstract

Sudan's agricultural sector is characterized by division into three structurally and institutionally distinct sub‐sectors. This paper discusses the likely impact of exchange rate reform on the structure of incentives, relative competitiveness and food self‐sufficiency, both intersectorally and intrasectorally. Employing domestic resource cost analysis and a simple framework for calculating expected net revenue for staple foodgrain, results indicate that policy reforms, particularly devaluation, appear to have affected the various sub‐sectors differently, and overall devaluation has met inadequately the challenge of sustaining a viable agriculture. The pursuit of food self‐sufficiency strategy may be explained in terms of expected net revenues and risk aversion; both are largely related to policy reforms and efficiency of the marketing system.     

Food policy and poverty in Indonesia: a general equilibrium analysis*

Rice is Indonesia's staple food and accounts for large shares of both consumers' budgets and total employment. Until recently, Indonesia was the world's largest importer, but rice import policy is now highly protectionist. Since early 2004, rice imports have been officially banned. Advocates of this policy say it reduces poverty by assisting poor farmers. Opponents say it increases poverty, stressing negative effects on poor consumers. This paper uses a general equilibrium model of the Indonesian economy to analyse the effects of a ban on rice imports. The analysis recognises 1000 individual households, including all major socioeconomic categories, disaggregated by expenditures per person. It takes account of effects on each household's real expenditure and its income, operating through wages and returns to land and capital. The results indicate that the rice import ban raises the domestic price of rice relative to the import price by an amount equivalent to a 125 per cent tariff, six times the pre‐2004 tariff. Poverty incidence rises by a little under 1 per cent of the population and increases in both rural and urban areas. Among farmers, only the richest gain. These results are qualitatively robust to variations in key parametric assumptions.     

Trade policy, biotechnology and grain self-sufficiency in China

Over the past 20 years the growth of China's agricultural economy has been extraordinary. However, it seems unlikely that China will maintain self‐sufficiency in grains by 2005 without substantial intervention. We develop a CGE model to assess the options available to Chinese policy makers. We compare the welfare effects of import tariffs and domestic support, and explore the potential of biotechnology as a means to achieve self‐sufficiency through improvements in agricultural productivity. Our results indicate that the price interventions that would be required to maintain China's desired self‐sufficiency ratios are considerable, and are unlikely to be compatible with WTO accession. The productivity improvements required are also significant, and likely beyond the current potential of biotechnology.     

The Malawi agricultural input subsidy programme: 2005/06 to 2008/09

Malawi's implementation of a large-scale agricultural input subsidy programme has attracted significant international interest. This paper reviews the programme from 2005/06 to 2008/09. Nationwide disbursement of heavily subsidized fertilizers and seed to large numbers of beneficiaries represents a significant logistical achievement and substantially increased national maize production and productivity, contributing to increased food availability, higher real wages, wider economic growth and poverty reduction. However, the latter years of the programme have been accompanied by high international fertilizer prices and costs and high maize prices, the latter undermining the programme's food security, poverty reduction and growth benefits for many poor Malawian farmers relying on purchased maize for substantial amounts of their staple food requirements. Estimated economic returns to the programme have been satisfactory, given other programme benefits not captured in cost—benefit analysis. With substantial reductions in both prices and subsidized volumes of fertilizers in subsequent years, there is considerable scope for building on achievements to raise programme effectiveness, efficiency and benefits. Any application of Malawi's subsidy experience to other countries should take into account the special characteristics of the Malawian maize economy and measures needed to raise programmes' effectiveness and efficiency and their contribution to sustainable development policies.     

最低收购价政策调整对我国粮食安全的影响以稻谷为例

[目的]最低收购价政策实施以来,在稳粮价、促生产、保粮安的同时,也产生了显著的负面影响,探索以市场机制为核心的粮食价格支持政策改革势在必行。[方法]文章以稻谷为例,通过构建局部均衡模型,模拟逐渐下调最低收购价、取消最低收购价、取消最低收购价并大幅增加农业补贴等方案对我国稻谷的产量、总消费、库存和净进口等方面的影响,进而探究最低收购价政策调整对我国粮食安全的影响。[结果]（1）下调稻谷最低收购价,对稻谷市场价格、总产量和总消费的影响较小,而对库存和净进口量的影响较大;（2）取消最低收购价,虽然能大幅度减小国内外差价、库存量和进口量,但短期内也会显著减少稻谷产量,对我国的粮食供给安全带来了巨大冲击;（3）取消稻谷最低收购价,并大幅度提高了农业补贴后,稻谷总产量下降水平明显减少,既解决了托市收购带来的负面影响,也降低了取消托市收购对粮食供给安全的冲击。[结论]最低收购价政策的支持效应显著,为充分保障国内粮食安全,在推行粮食市场化改革时,应首先考虑小幅度下调最低收购价,而不是一次性取消最低收购价政策;同时,要配套相应的补贴政策,优化农业补贴结构,来保障粮农的种植积极性。     

Marketing reforms,market development and agricultural production in China

Chinese agricultural reforms have consisted of two transitional stages; initially decollectivization in the late 1970s followed by market liberalization in the mid 1980s. While much research has been conducted on the initial stage of increasing the incentives for farmers in collective cultivation, little quantitative evidence exists on how marketing reforms and the development of rural markets has affected agricultural production decisions. Using more accurate and disaggregated measures of the reform and market development components of liberalization than previous research, this study examined the effects of these liberalization policies on the agricultural production decisions in Shaanxi province. Procurement quota levels were found to be positively associated with the area planted to grain crops. Thus, quotas represent an effective way of increasing grain production and thereby also a means of achieving food self sufficiency which remains an important policy objective for the Chinese government. The involvement of state grain stations in free market grain trade and the expansion of rural markets has increased the area planted to the two potential cash crops, soybeans and wheat, and reduced the sown area of the Subsistence crop, corn reflecting the reduced need to plant corn as a self insurance mechanism for smoothing consumption. An increase in procurement quotas increases fertilizer use on grain crops, due to the policy of linking quotas to access to below-market priced fertilizer, but decreases the use of labor, which shifts to other more profitable enterprises. Market development has increased these off-farm employment opportunities and the earnings associated with them, thereby promoting the shift of labor out of crop production and increased the use of fertilizer which has also become more available.     

影响我国气候旱区粮食生产能力的灰色关联分析

文章根据投入产出分析的相关理论,结合其他学者的研究成果,确定了影响气候旱区粮食生产能力的主要因素。包括粮食作物播种面积、粮食作物种植结构、粮食单位面积产量、有效灌溉面积、农业从业人数、农用化肥施用折纯量、农业机械总动力及受灾面积、财政对粮食直接补贴资金额、年均降水量等。通过选取2000~2013年统计数据,运用灰色关联分析法,对这些因素与气候旱区粮食总产量进行相关性分析,表明财政对粮食直接补贴资金额、农用化肥施用折纯量、粮食单位面积产量、玉米播种面积占粮食作物播种面积比例及受灾面积与粮食产量高度相关,对提升粮食生产能力的影响较大;小麦播种面积占粮食作物播种面积比例、农业机械总动力、有效灌溉面积、农业从业人数、粮食作物播种面积、年均降水量都与粮食产量中度相关,对提升粮食生产能力的影响较小。因此应继续推行政府对粮食直接补贴政策、增加政府对粮食直补资金,同时,增加物质投入、提高农业科技水平、改善农业灌溉条件、调整粮食种植结构、提高粮食单位面积产量、减少受灾面积来提升粮食生产能力,增加粮食产量。     

Gender and agricultural productivity: implications of the Farm Input Subsidy Program in Malawi

Alleviating gender differences in agricultural productivity is vital for poverty reduction. While numerous studies suggest that gender differences in agricultural productivity are a result of female farmers having limited access to resources, few studies investigate the role of agricultural interventions in alleviating the constraints to input use and subsequently the gender gap in productivity. This study investigates whether there are gendered gains in agricultural productivity from participating in an input subsidy program and if these gains help reduce the gender gap. Using nationally representative data that is disaggregated at the plot level, this study analyzes the large‐scale voucher‐based Farm Input Subsidy Program in Malawi. Focusing on the total value of output per hectare, relationships are identified using weighted estimators, where the weights are constructed from propensity scores, and spatial fixed effects, to address the unobservable factors that may confound the relationship between program participation and productivity. The findings suggest that participation in the program improves agricultural productivity for both male and female farmers but it does not provide disproportionate help to female famers to overcome gender disparities in agricultural productivity. This suggests that female farmers face additional constraints to productivity apart from nonlabor input use.     

Broad‐based Agricultural Development versus Food Self‐sufficiency: A General Equilibrium Analysis in India

Intersectoral linkages are analysed using a CGE model based on a SAM constructed from Indian national accounts data for 1988–89. The model includes the rural non‐farm sector, public sector production and aspects of public policy. Evidence supports the arguments of Chakravarty (1987) and Ahluwalia (1986) regarding the importance of broad‐based agricultural development as opposed to increased production in the food sector alone aimed at achieving food self‐sufficiency.     

目标价格补贴政策对棉花生产的影响分析基于PSM-DID的实证研究

目的 目标价格补贴政策是改革农产品价格形成机制的重要举措,对于优化我国农业供给结构具有重要的意义。方法 为了评估临时收储制改为目标价格补贴政策对新疆棉花生产的影响,文章基于2011—2018年新疆和其他棉花主产区县级棉花生产相关数据,运用双重差分倾向得分法（PSM-DID）分析了目标价格补贴政策对新疆棉花的种植面积和产量的总体影响、动态效应和区域效应。结果 目标价格补贴政策对调控国内棉花供给起着重要作用;该政策总体上促进了新疆棉花产业发展,棉花面积和产量显著提高;从政策的动态效应来看,目标价格政策调整为三年一定的方案对棉花生产的促进作用显著大于试点期一年一定的效应;此外,目标价格补贴政策对南疆和北疆的影响效应存在差异,对南疆棉花生产的促进效果更显著。结论 在此基础上,结合我国缺乏棉花定价权,目标价格补贴政策可能导致国家财政负担过重,且容易触及WTO黄箱补贴的限制等问题,该文提出了进一步完善目标价格补贴政策,逐步向脱钩的补贴方式过渡,并积极探索财政补贴与市场补偿相结合的补贴机制等相关建议。     

基于农户土地利用行为的农业生态安全评价——以奇台县为例

[目的]农户作为土地利用的微观主体既是农地保护的重要承担者,也是解决农业生态环境问题的基本单元。文章从农户土地利用行为角度出发,以期构建基于农户土地利用行为的农业生态安全评价指标体系,为农业生态保护提供对策建议。[方法]以昌吉州奇台县384户农户的调查数据分析为基础,采用熵权法确定各指标权重,运用综合评价法构建基于P-S-R模型对奇台县农业生态安全进行评价。[结果]奇台县农业生态安全综合指数为0.745,农业生态环境处于一般安全的状态。[结论]农业生态环境受翻耕深度、农药使用量、森林覆盖率、化肥使用量等的影响较大;农户土地利用行为对农业生态环境有重大影响。据此,该文提出拓宽耕地保护范畴、完善耕地保护制度、实施节水工程、调控水盐平衡、完善耕地保护补贴政策等建议。     

World food prices and poverty in Indonesia

Spikes in international food prices in 2007–2008 worsened poverty incidence in Indonesia, both rural and urban, but only by small amounts. The paper reaches this conclusion using a multisectoral and multihousehold general equilibrium model of the Indonesian economy. The negative effect on poor consumers, operating through their living costs, outweighed the positive effect on poor farmers, operating through their incomes. Indonesia's post‐2004 rice import restrictions shielded its internal rice market from the temporary world price increases, muting the increase in poverty. But it did this only by imposing large and permanent increases in both domestic rice prices and poverty incidence. Poverty incidence increased more among rural than urban people, even though higher agricultural prices mean higher incomes for many of the rural poor. Gains to poor farmers were outweighed by the losses incurred by the large number of rural poor who are net buyers of food, and the fact that food represents a large share of their total budgets, even larger on average than for the urban poor. The main beneficiaries of higher food prices are not the rural poor, but the owners of agricultural land and capital, many of whom are urban based.     

农地流转与化肥减量——来自农地流转政策的准自然实验

目的 推动化肥减量是实现农业可持续发展、绿色发展的必然要求,而农地流转的发展为推动化肥减量提供了新的思路。方法 文章基于2005—2020年中国省级面板数据,运用连续型DID模型、中介模型等考察农地流转政策对化肥减量作用、作用机制以及异质性作用。结果 （1）基准模型估计结果表明,农地流转政策对化肥减量具有显著的促进作用,即农地流转能够促进化肥减量。（2）作用机制分析表明,农地流转政策可以通过调整种植结构和扩大经营规模的渠道对化肥减量起促进作用。（3）异质性分析表明,在自然地理区位维度,农地流转政策对东部和西部地区带来的化肥减量作用更为明显;在粮食生产功能区维度,农地流转政策对非粮食主产区带来的化肥减量作用更为明显;在化肥用量分布维度,对于化肥用量位于0.9分位点的省份,农地流转政策实施带来的化肥减量作用相对较弱。结论 应继续有序推进农地流转,提高农地流转比例;应遏制农地流转“非粮化”,促进农业适度规模经营;应结合各区域经济社会发展,因地制宜的探索农地流转模式。     

World food prices and poverty incidence in a food exporting country: a multihousehold general equilibrium analysis for Thailand

A multisectoral, multihousehold general equilibrium model of the Thai economy is used to analyze the implications of recent increases in international food prices. Higher food prices, especially staple grains, worsen poverty incidence in Thailand despite the presence of large numbers of poor farmers, many of whom benefit from higher prices. The positive effect on the welfare of poor farmers is dominated by the negative effect on poor consumers. Of the recent price increases for rice, sugar, cassava, maize, soybeans, urea, and petroleum, the increases in rice prices raise poverty incidence the most, despite Thailand being the world's largest rice exporter.     

Economics of erosion-control and seed-fertilizer technologies for hillside farming in Honduras

With population growth still at very high rates and large-scale commercial farmers and cattle ranchers owning much of the more fertile valley land, small-scale farmers are concentrated on increasingly marginal, steeply sloping hillsides in Central America. The continuing soil erosion and land degradation in these low-input staple crop production hillside farming systems lead many to be pessimistic about increasing the agricultural incomes of these farmers. However, this study shows that the appropriate combination of improved technologies and agricultural policy or alternative production diversification strategies can improve the incomes of small-scale hillside farmers in southern Honduras by over 50%. The technology components considered are stone walls and ditches combined with living tree barriers to prevent erosion of the hillsides, and a package of improved sorghum seed, seed treatment, and modest doses of nitrogenous fertilizer. A whole-farm mathematical programming framework is used to determine the potential farm-level income effects of the soil-conservation and seed-fertilizer technologies. The main conclusion is that erosion-control devices and yield-increasing crop varieties and fertilizer are an effective technology introduction strategy for the erosion-prone hillside landholdings found in many areas of Central America. If policy actions or diversification strategies for disposal of surplus grain are found which are effective in reducing the risk of low income from cereal price reductions in high-production years, adoption of the improved technologies is shown to be profitable for small-scale farmers. Another benefit not explicitly considered would be to slow the very rapid growth of urban poverty in these countries. Sensitivity analysis results indicated that neither risk aversion nor the increased availability of crop land or initial cash have any substantial effects on the predicted adoption level of the improved technologies, or on their income impacts for these farmers.     

Wage and employment effects of Malawi's fertilizer subsidy program

This article uses three waves of nationally representative household‐level panel data from Malawi to estimate how a large‐scale fertilizer subsidy program impacts the agricultural labor market, known as ganyu in that country. I find that when looking across the entire population of smallholders, receiving an additional 100 kg of subsidized fertilizer causes the average household to supply about three fewer days of ganyu. The fertilizer subsidy program also has a small positive effect on the probability that a household demands agricultural labor, with the results approaching statistical significance. In addition, a 10 kg increase in the average amount of subsidized fertilizer acquired per household in a community boosts the median agricultural wage rate by 1.4% in that community. The increase in wage rates translates to a US $1.40 per year increase in average household income in the years after Malawi's subsidy program was scaled up, and a US $1.86 per year increase in average household income for those who sold their labor before the subsidy program was scaled up. This finding suggests that households who sell their labor off farm may experience some small spillover benefit from the program in the form of higher agricultural wage rates.     

The impacts of multiperil crop insurance on Indonesian rice farmers and production

This article analyzes the effect of multiperil crop insurance policy for risk‐averse Indonesian rice farmers located in Tuban and Gresik Regencies of the East Java Province. Based on the model, comparative static analysis of a change in policy variables (coverage levels and premium subsidies) on input use through the coupling, wealth, and insurance effects are presented. The comparative static results are largely ambiguous and left as empirical questions. Consequently, the model is numerically simulated to quantify the effects of different coverage levels and subsidy rates on input use, expected net insurance payments, and certainty equivalents. The empirical analysis shows that MPCI crop insurance results in a decline in expected yield for coverage levels above about 82.5% for both regencies. Furthermore, higher subsidy rates amplify the reduction in input use and yield. Therefore, incomplete coverage with relatively low premium subsidies is the best policy to minimize the impact on input use and yield. However, from the farmers’ perspective, the optimal policy combination results from the highest coverage level and subsidy, which offer the largest expected net insurance payments and certainty equivalent.     

论2020后农村减贫战略与政策:从“扶贫”向“防贫”的转变

中国农村贫困格局的变化在客观上要求调整农村减贫的战略与政策。2020之后农村贫困的治理战略需要由长期以来的"扶贫战略"转向"以防贫为主"的新的贫困治理战略框架。2020之后中国减贫的战略目标将需要从过去长期以来通过制定不同的绝对贫困标准并继而努力超越绝对贫困标准,转变为通过逐步实现城乡社会公共服务均等化等手段来缓解不平等为主要目标。2020后以防贫为主要目标的减贫政策应将现行所有的政策工具进行重新的梳理建立起相互衔接、互不重复、目标明确的新的减贫政策体系。