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The Inefficiency of Interest‐Rate Subsidies in Commodity Price Stabilization
Author(s) -
Gardner Bruce L.,
López Ramón
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
american journal of agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.949
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1467-8276
pISSN - 0002-9092
DOI - 10.2307/1243269
Subject(s) - subsidy , inefficiency , interest rate , economics , commodity , monetary economics , microeconomics , finance , market economy
Interest‐rate subsidies have been used to stimulate commodity stockholding, with the intention of stabilizing prices. However, reductions in price variability can be achieved at less government cost using a direct storage subsidy, and it is possible that an interest‐rate subsidy will increase price variability even though the interest subsidy increases mean stocks held. These results are demonstrated using a stochastic dynamic programming model of optimal private storage, with parameter values relevant to agricultural commodity markets, and with particular reference to the U.S. soybean market.