Abstract
This paper looks at one aspect of current United States agricultural policy. This concerns the attempt by the federal government to support commodity prices and income of farmers. This is accomplished through the deficiency payments program. Unfortunately, the program is inherently economically inefficient. Moreover, alternatives (short of eliminating the program altogether and not replacing it) also are not economically efficient.
Zusammenfassung
In der amerikanischen Agrarpolitik spielen Preis- und Einkommenssubventionen für Farmer eine wichtige Rolle. Der Beitrag behandelt die Wirkungen des seit 1985 bestehenden Systems von Ausgleichszahlungen für landwirtschaftliche Erzeugnisse. Diese Zahlungen errechnen sich als Differenz zwischen dem Subventionspreis für ein bestimmtes landwirtschaftliches Erzeugnis und seinem Marktpreis.
Die bei den Landwirten eintretenden Wirkungen sind meist positiv, hingegen werden die Konsumenten bei Lebensmitteln mit Preiserhöhungen belastet. Seit die Marktpreise in den USA über den Weltmarktpreisen liegen, sind zusätzliche staatliche Subventionen notwendig, um landwirtschaftliche Erzeugnisse auf dem Weltmarkt verkaufen zu können. Auch dafür werden die Konsumenten in ihrer Rolle als Steuerzahler belastet. Die Kosten des Systems betragen für jeden Steuerzahler jährlich etwa 413$.
Die Ausgleichszahlungen führen zu Verzerrungen bei wirtschaftlichen Anreizen und dadurch zu einer Fehlallokation von Ressourcen. Deshalb wird diese Politik vom Autor als ineffizient beurteilt. Er diskutiert Alternativen, die darauf abzielen, die gewünschten politischen Ziele zu erreichen. Doch keine dieser Alternativen geht ernsthaft das Problem der wirtschaftlichen Ineffizienz an, das mit Subventionen verbunden ist.
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Additional information
Noel D. Uri is a Supervisor Agricultural Economist in the Resources and Technology Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1301 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20005, USA. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the views of other U.S. Department of Agriculture staff members.
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Uri, N.D. Target prices, market prices, and economic efficiency in agriculture in the United States. J Consum Policy 12, 1–17 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00411386
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00411386