OECD annually publishes producer subsidy equivalent (PSE) statistics, which measure aggregate government assistance to farmers. The PSE is calculated by totaling the value of price supports, direct payments, and other transfers to producers of agricultural commodities. Percentage PSE is a measure of the rate of assistance to producers by calculating the PSE as a percentage of total production valued at internal prices.
1986-88 1992-94 1995 1996(p) 1997(e)
Australia
Total PSE 1,033 1,110 1,281 1,145 1,075
Percentage PSE 10 10 10 8 9
Canada
Total PSE 5,839 4,814 3,934 3,797 3,135
Percentage PSE 42 31 22 22 20
European Union (1)
Total PSE 67,822 79,851 91,742 82,181 72,682
Percentage PSE 48 48 49 43 42
Japan
Total PSE 34,341 39,559 48,597 39,761 33,184
Percentage PSE 73 74 76 71 69
Switzerland
Total PSE 4,405 5,203 5,833 5,428 4,572
Percentage PSE 79 80 79 77 76
United States
Total PSE 32,532 26,348 17,344 22,614 22,791
Percentage PSE 30 21 13 15 16
OECD (2) (3)
Total PSE 158,589 171,536 174,959 160,866 145,224
Percentage PSE 45 42 40 35 35
e = estimate; p = provisional.
Notes:
1. EU-12 for 1986-94, EU-15 from 1995. EU includes ex-GDR from 1990.
2. Austria, Finland, and Sweden are included in the OECD total for the 1986-94 period and in the EU for 1995-97.
3. Excludes Korea, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Mexico, and Poland.
Source: Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries, OECD Secretariat, 1998.
Economic Perspectives
USIA Electronic Journal, Vol. 4, No. 2, May 1999