台灣稻米產銷政策之檢討與基本改革措施效益之分析

A Review of Taiwan’s Rice Policy and Benefits of Fundamental Reform Measures

我國於公元2002 年正式加入世界貿易組織（WTO）。依據該組織規範，應削減農業境內支持（AMS）20％，並開放部分稻米進口。為確保國內糧食安全，維護農民收益及農田生態環境，政策上持續辦理「水旱田利用調整計畫」與稻穀保價收購。因此，稻穀價差補貼的政策支出並未顯著減少，亦未達成市場價格穩定之效果，此顯示目前所推動的各項稻米調整政策，並未達到預期目標。因此，需有較週全的替代方案，才能因應稻米市場自由化與國際化的挑戰。本文所提之稻米產銷調整之基本改革措施，每年每公頃之調整費用設定為27,854 元，較現行每公頃之補貼費用35,567 元，削減了7,713 元的AMS，削減比率為21.7％。若與處理現行稻農每公頃之稻穀繳交數量所需支付的38,891 元相較，則每公頃可節省11,037 元的財政負擔。若考慮目前公糧收購之總支出，則每年每公頃需107,866 元，但本文調整產銷所需的支出僅為27,854 元，僅約佔目前公糧收購支出的四分之一。農會或糧商在擴大經營規模的誘因鼓勵下，每擴增一公頃耕作面積，其總成本平均將下降8,300 元。面對經貿自由化及國際化的競爭日趨激烈，採取稻米產銷調整之基本改革措施，將有助於稻米產業結構之調整與永續發展。

Taiwan has officially become a WTO member in 2002. According to theagreement, Taiwan should reduce agriculture AMS (Aggregate Measurementof Support) by 20 percent and allowing more rice imports. However, domesticagricultural objectives in pursuing food security, farm income level, and farmecology imply both “paddy-upland utilization adjustment program” and riceprice support program should be maintained. The result is that governmentexpenditure on the rice subsidy payment is still very high and rice price is alsovolatile. It seems that all the current rice adjustment programs are notadequate in handling with the conflicts between domestic and internationalobjectives. Therefore, there is a need of alternative scheme in dealing with thechallenges of rice market liberalization and globalization.The benefits of fundamental reform measures as discussed in this paperare substantial. Total per year per hectare payment under this reform is only27,854 N.T. dollars, less than the current 35,567 N.T. dollars. This means a21.7 percent cut in AMS. The cost of government rice is now 38,891 N.T.dollars per hectare or 11,037 N.T. dollars higher than the alternative reformpayment under the scenario of no government rice. The overall cost ofgovernment surplus rice is even higher, almost four times as the alternativediscussed in this paper. The reform facilitates the economy of scale of riceoperation. It suggests that if farmers’ associations or agribusiness firms arewilling to tape this opportunity, then production cost per hectare will decreaseby 8.300 N.T. dollars. Facing with the challenges of trade liberalization andglobalization, it is imperative that we should consider this fundamental reformmeasures seriously. This reform is also very promising in transforming the ricesector and maintaining a sustainable agriculture.