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Importing High Food Prices by Exporting: Rice Prices in Lao PDR

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  • Dick Durevall
  • Roy Weide

Abstract

This paper shows how a developing country, Lao PDR, imports high glutinous rice prices by exporting its staple food to neighboring countries, Vietnam and Thailand. Lao PDR has extensive export controls on rice, generating a sizable difference between domestic and international prices. Controls are relaxed after good harvests, leading to a surge in exports early in the season and rapidly rising prices later in the year. There is thus a strong case for removal of trade restrictions since they give rise to price spikes, keep the long-term price of glutinous rice low, and thereby hinder increases in income from agriculture. Although this is a case study of Lao PDR, the findings may equally apply to other developing countries that export their staple food.
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  • Dick Durevall & Roy Weide, 2017. "Importing High Food Prices by Exporting: Rice Prices in Lao PDR," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(1), pages 164-181, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jageco:v:68:y:2017:i:1:p:164-181
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/1477-9552.12179
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    2. World Bank Group, 2015. "Drivers of Poverty Reduction in Lao PDR," World Bank Publications - Reports 23339, The World Bank Group.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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