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Abstract
This paper presents a multimarket focxl crop supply/demand model for Indonesia and assesses the
impact of food crop trade liberalization using the model. The results indicate that a trade liberalization policy
would generate substantial net benefits to society because gains to consumers from reduced foOO expenditures are
larger than losses in farm revenues. The net import bill for food commodities increases with trade liberalization due
to increased demand for the liberalized commodities. However, because of the strong cross effects from price
changes on the production and conswnption of other crops, increases in the import bill are moderated. Increases in
import expenditures for food due to liberalization are small relative to total export earnings. The results suggest
that Indonesia should reduce protective trade barriers for food crops and move towards trade liberalization. Given
government ooncems with farm income and with potential adjustment problems in the process of liberalization, a
possible alternative to full trade liberalization would be to permit free trade in food crops but to institute a moderate
import tariff on the most highly protected commodities: soyabeans, sugar, and wheat. Full trade liberalization
generates larger net welfare gains than free trade with moderate tariffs. However, a moderate tariff on soyabeans,
wheat, and sugar combined witl;i free trade would reduce the degree of distortion of incentives to producers relative
to current policies and would rationalize the current system of import controls and regulated transfer pricing that
encourages inefficient rent seeking in the distribution of these commodities.