Brussels, 21/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The OECD recently published a report on agricultural aid in 1999 that notes an upward trend in agricultural support, seen in 1998, continued last year, returning to the same high levels as seen in the mid-1990s.
In 1999, the total in aid given to agriculture rose 3% to reach an estimated total of USD 361 billion. Close to four fifths of this amount went to individual agricultural producers. A fraction of 15% was absorbed by the general interest services collectively provided to agriculture, such as infrastructure, research, marketing operations and promotion as well as the creation of public stocks. The support for producers was marked by a regular progression during the last three years, moving from 40% of the total gross agricultural receipts in 1999 against 31% in 1998. These figure hide deep differences between the countries. The support rates go from minus 10% in Australia and New Zealand to 65% or more in Korea, Iceland, Japan, Norway and Switzerland. In this second group of countries, the support does not exceed 85% for the most protected products: milk, but also, in certain case, sugar and, with regard to Japan and Korea, rice. The support rates set themselves - according to the OECD calculations - at 24% for the United States and 49% for the European Union.