Keywords

Egyptian agriculture, Rice, Agricultural economics

Abstract

Rice is both heavily subsidized and rationed in Egypt. This policy has significant distributive effects and especially benefits low income consumers in both urban and rural areas of the country. In addition, the policy has important allocative effects in shifting scarce resources to inefficient uses. This paper attempts to measure the economic inefficiency associated with this policy in order that the policy makers may judge better whether or not the distributive benefits are worth the efficiency costs.

Original Publication Citation

"Economic Implications of the Policy for Pricing and Allocating Rice in Egypt" (with Sonia Ali), ADS Working Paper No. 84, Dept. of Agric. Econ., U of California, Davis, Aug. 1982.