Venezuelan Agricultural Price And Trade Policies

The present report is a descriptive analysis of the agricultural price and trade policies followed by the Venezuelan Government in recent years, its basic objective is to provide a fuller understanding of present agricultural policy with the hope this will permit a clearer view of the type of policy to expect in the future. An attempt is made to show the influence of petroleum upon agriculture as the most important source of revenues which has largely contributed to the improvement of the agricultural sector. This paper will first offer a brief synopsis of the present economic situation. It will then consider the agricultural price and trade policies in the period prior to 1950. In considerable more detail it will then focus on the price and trade policies of the past twenty years, showing also the consequences of these policies with special emphasis on two important domestic products: Rice and Milk. Finally, this report will include certain observations about the policies that the Venezuelan Government is expected to follow in the years ahead.