Government Grain Programs of Canada, Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom

The government grain programs of Canada and Australia, two important grain‐exporting countries, and those of Japan and the United Kingdom, two important grain‐importing countries, illustrate the variation in foreign government grain programs. Although all four countries have producer support prices, Canada and Australia have Wheat Boards, monopolistic in form, which buy grain from producers, the U.K. has no direct purchase of grain by the government, and Japan has a mixed system. Support prices in Canada are based on expected market conditions, in Australia on cost of production, and in Japan on a parity concept; in the U.K. they are set at the annual government price review. Both the Australian and Japanese governments are attempting to stimulate grain production, while the Canadian delivery‐quota system tends to limits production. The U.K. has no specific government policy on grain production. Australia and Canada have programs to promote exports. All four countries have some form of import duties on grain.