@article{Kotagama:205971,
      recid = {205971},
      author = {Kotagama, H. and Boughanmi, H. and Zekri, S. and  Prathapar, S.},
      title = {Food Security as a Public Good: Oman’s Prospects},
      journal = {Sri Lankan Journal of Agricultural Economics},
      address = {2009},
      number = {1381-2016-115769},
      pages = {15},
      year = {2009},
      abstract = {The recent phenomenal crisis in the financial sector and  the surge in food prices have resurrected the debate on the  role of government, in economic management and in  particular in securing national food security. This paper  briefly reviews the theoretical literature in favor of  government intervention in the market to secure food  security. It is argued that food security needs to be  considered as a public good, hence justifying government  intervention in supplying it. Sustaining the potential to  domestically produce safe minimum amounts of a staple food  should be considered as a national strategic objective to  achieve food security.

Wheat is a staple food in Oman and  it has been a major crop in the farming systems of Oman.  Wheat cultivation under present circumstances of crop  prices, yield, agricultural technology and resource  availability in Oman’s commercial farming is not viable,  without government support. With the use of a linear  programming model that simulates the farming systems; in a  major agricultural region in Oman (Batinah region) the  production subsidy that is required as an incentive to  promote the cultivation of wheat is estimated. The wheat  yield in Oman is considered as 3 Tons/Ha and world price of  wheat is around 100 OR/Ton. Wheat cultivation under  commercial farming would be viable if a subsidy of at least  414 OR/Ha (138 OR/Ton) is provided. This subsidy can be  instrumented as an input subsidy and/or price supports as  Saudi Arabia had done (190 OR/Ton of wheat).  If the wheat  yield could be increased through technological and  managerial means to global potential yield of 5 Tons/Ha  then the price support needs to be at least 83 OR/Ton of  wheat. The extent of its achievement in terms of extent of  land cultivated and total domestic production of wheat,  need to be considered in relation to the trade-off of  fiscal cost and political choice of the degree of food  security deemed as necessary to achieve.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/205971},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.205971},
}