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Abstract
The Dominican Republic presents a case study of heavy government intervention in the foodgrain sector. The key government agency involved in the marketing, pricing, and trade of the staple foodgrain, rice, is the Institute of Price Stabilization (INESPRE). This study examines INESPRE's activities and focuses on the Institute's pricing and import policy. The major rice and wheat price series are analyzed. The Dominican peso has become increasingly overvalued at the official rate of exchange, which affects comparisons of domestic and world price levels and also impacts on INESPRE's operations. Attention is also given to the important relationship between rice and fertilizer prices. Includes -- Appendix A: The Effect of Trade and Currency Exchange Rate Policy on the Dominican Rice Economy: An Econometric Analysis (by Terry Roe).