Die beoogde varsproduktemark ondersoek wil die waardeketting van groente en vrygte ondersoek om te bepaal of mededinging beperk word. Hierdie eggo die kommerwekkende idee dat die graanmark meer mededingend moet wees sodat pryse binnelandse produksiekoste reflekteer en losgemaak word van internasionale prysvasstelling. Die voorstelle wat in die media gemaak is sluit uitvoerbelasting op mielies in en ʼn meevallerbelasting op produsente wanneer kommoditeitspryse hoog is. Mens weet skaars waar om te begin om soveel verkeerde idees te weerlê, maar ek wil probeer.
Eerste sal losmaak van die wêreldmarkte die teenoorgestelde wees groter mededingendheid. In die enkele lande wat nie deel is van internasionale markte nie is die pryse meer wisselvallig en die produksie is ook laer. Die teendeel is dat internasionale handel goed is vir effektiwiteit en innovasie. Die idee van ʼn meevallerbelasting ignoreer die sikliese aard van die bedryf. As jy die winste wil weg-belas in die vet jare, hoe gemaak in die maer jare?
Beleidmakers moet hulleself veel eerder vra wat kan hulle doen om produksie te verhoog en koste te verlaag. Vergeet direkte inmenging met belastings en subsidies, en doen eerder die basiese dinge reg – soos elektrisiteitsverskaffing, instandhouding van paaie en verbetering van landelike veiligheid. Die boere en die markmeganisme sal die res doen.
The importance of getting the basics right
The intended
fresh produce market investigation aims to examine the value chain of
vegetables and fruit to determine whether competition is impeded or restricted
in any way. This echoes the worrying idea that the grain market should be made more
competitive so that prices reflect domestic production costs and be detached
from international price setting. The proposals made in the media include
export taxes on maize and a windfall tax on producers when commodity prices are
high. One hardly knows where to begin to disprove so many misconceptions, but I
want to try.
First, detachment
from the world markets will be the opposite greater competitiveness. In the few
countries that are not part of international markets, the prices are more
volatile and the production is also lower. On the contrary, international trade
is good for efficiency and innovation. And the idea of a windfall tax ignores
the cyclical nature of the industry. If you want to tax away the profits in the
fat years, what will you do in the lean years?
Rather,
policymakers should ask themselves what they can do to increase production and
lower costs. Forget direct interference using taxes and subsidies, and instead
do the basics right – like electricity supply, road maintenance and improving
rural safety. The farmers and the market mechanism will do the rest.
