New Publication: Declining Agricultural Commodity Prices
18 May 2006
The European Commission has long argued that agricultural prices are being driven down mainly by productivity gains leading to greater volumes. A new publication by the Commonwealth Secretariat shows, however, that while productivity level is increasing in some countries, it is not in others.
Research for the publication 'Declining Agricultural Commodity Prices' was carried out by three Australian university academics, Euan Fleming, Associate Professor in the School of Economics at the University of New England, New South Wales, and Pauline Fleming, also lecturer at the School of Economics; and D S Prasada Rao, Professor in the School of Economics and the Director of the Centre for Efficiency and Productivity Analysis at the University of Queensland.
The authors point out that the diversification into higher value-adding agricultural industries will be difficult without dramatic improvements to rural infrastructure and institutional support. Since these improvements are unlikely to be achieved, they conclude that the major objective for agricultural producers in developing countries must remain to boost productivity in existing commodity industries.
Research for this publication involved an analysis of trends in productivity, export, and producer and export prices in developing countries for a selected group of tropical commodities from 1970 to 2002. The commodities were coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil, lauric oils (coconut oil and palm kernel oil), cotton, sugar and rice. These commodities have traditionally formed the core of agricultural exports of most developing countries since the 1960s, particularly those Commonwealth countries located in tropical regions.
The authors say these analyses have made it possible to assess some strategic options for governments of developing countries who were attempting to improve living standards in rural areas through agricultural growth.
Economic Paper 74; ISBN: 0-85092-834-6; 100 pages; price: £20
HOW TO ORDER
This title can be bought online here
A full catalogue of Commonwealth Secretariat and Commonwealth Foundation publications can be viewed on the website, which provides a secure online buying facility, and orders can also be made through e-mail or by post. Pre-payment is essential. Payment by sterling cheque, international money order, postal order or bank draft must accompany your order.
Payment should be in sterling, drawn on a UK bank and made out to the Commonwealth Secretariat. If you require the order form as an attachment in Word format please e-mail Guy Bentham of the Publications Section (see address below). Post and packaging charges should be added to every order in the following way: UK orders: 15 per cent of order value (minimum charge £2.00). Non-UK orders: 25 per cent of order value (minimum charge £3.50).
Send orders to: Guy Bentham, Publications Section, Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6342; Fax: +44 (0)20 7839 9081; E-mail: g.bentham@commonwealth.int.
CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 285, 17 May 2006
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