The objectives of this study were twofold. The first objective was to measure for the 1960 -84 period the level of price intervention on agricultural products and the effects it had on output, consumption, foreign exchange, the government budget, income transfers between agriculture and the rest of the economy, and income distribution. The second and ultimate objective was to analyze the political economy of price intervention ( to understand the interaction between political and economic forces ). Central to the objectives was the knowledge of what political constraints influenced decisions on agricultural pricing policy, as well as to what extent economic constraints on the government and market forces led to pressures on policymakers to alter farm price policies. An underlying thesis of this study is that agricultural incentives are strongly affected by developments in other sectors of the economy, especially by trade and macroeconomic policies. The report is divided into 3 parts : Part I presents an overview of the economy and the agricultural sector, then gives a descriptive history of agricultural price policies; Part II presents the effects of these policies; and Part III presents the political economy interpretation of these policies. The appendices detail the estimation procedures as well as the basic data used.

The objectives of this study were twofold. The first objective was to measure for the 1960 -84 period the level of price intervention on agricultural products and the effects it had on output, consumption, foreign exchange, the government budget, income transfers between agriculture and the rest of the economy, and income distribution. The second and ultimate objective was to analyze the political economy of price intervention ( to understand the interaction between political and economic forces ). Central to the objectives was the knowledge of what political constraints influenced decisions on agricultural pricing policy, as well as to what extent economic constraints on the government and market forces led to pressures on policymakers to alter farm price policies. An underlying thesis of this study is that agricultural incentives are strongly affected by developments in other sectors of the economy, especially by trade and macroeconomic policies. The report is divided into 3 parts : Part I presents an overview of the economy and the agricultural sector, then gives a descriptive history of agricultural price policies; Part II presents the effects of these policies; and Part III presents the political economy interpretation of these policies. The appendices detail the estimation procedures as well as the basic data used.

Trade flows and trade policies need to be properly quantified to describe, compare, or follow the evolution of policies between sectors or countries or over time. This is essential to ensure that policy choices are made with an appropriate knowledge of the real conditions. This practical guide introduces the main techniques of trade and trade policy data analysis. It shows how to develop the main indexes used to analyze trade flows, tariff structures, and non-tariff measures. It presents the databases needed to construct these indexes as well as the challenges faced in collecting and processing these data, such as measurement errors or aggregation bias. Written by experts with practical experience in the field, A Practical Guide to Trade Policy Analysis has been developed to contribute to enhance developing countries' capacity to analyze and implement trade policy. It offers a hands-on introduction on how to estimate the distributional effects of trade policies on welfare, in particular on inequality and poverty. The guide is aimed at government experts engaged in trade negotiations, as well as students and researchers involved in trade-related study or research. An accompanying DVD contains data sets and program command files required for the exercises. Copublished by the WTO and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development