オーストラリアにおける小麦流通制度自由化と生産状況

Abstract

In Australia, the wheat marketing system was reformed in July 1, 1989. Under the old system, the wheat marketings both in domestic market and in export market were controled by Australian wheat board (AWB). Wheat growers had to sell all of their wheat produced except wheat for seed and for feed to AWB. And domestic wheat prices were set at the levels which were determined by deducting the transportation cost (from the ports to each place) from FOB price. Under the new system, the wheat prices are determined freely by each market and wheat growers can sell their wheat produced to anyone such as wheat processors or feed producers or consumers. What was the most significant change for wheat growers is the abolishment of the guaranteed minimum price system. Formerly, if the pooled prices, which are weighted average of domestic prices and export prices, decline to the level lower than the 95% of the average of past two year's pooled prices and this year's predicted pooled price, then the gaps are subsidized by the board and so this system had the effects of both supporting farmer's incomes and their stabilization. However, under the new system, for the time being, pooled prices are supported at the levels of 90% of predicted pooled prices but in 5 years, they will be curtailed by 2% every year to the level of 80% and in 5 years, the system itself is to be reviewed. As for wheat export, following to the request of the wheat growers, it was determined that AWB continued to control all of exported wheat as before, and so the private exporters are not allowed to enter into the export market. Under the old system, it was forced to use the storing facilities and railways owned by the state governments. Under the new system, these limitations were abolished and the cheapest ways to store and to transport can be adopted. These are major changes in the new system. In this article, by using an econometric model, the effects of these policy changes on Australian wheat markets are investigated. The major points are as follows. The farmer's income per ton of wheat sold becomes lower under the new system than under the old system. The ratio of wheat handled by AWB in total wheat produced becomes lower under the new system than before. The export competitiveness of Australian wheat industry becomes higher than before. The fluctuations of wheat prices in the domestic markets become larger than before.