--%>

Question on lowering the supply

The Reagan Administration introduced new agricultural program named as the Payment-in-Kind Program, in the year of 1983. In order to distinguish how the program worked, let's assume the wheat market. Now assume the government desire to lower the supply of wheat by 25 percent from the free-market equilibrium by paying farmers to withdraw land from production. Though, the payment is made in wheat instead of in dollars--hence the name of the program. The wheat comes from the government's vast reserves that resulted from previous price-support programs. The amount of wheat paid is equivalent to the amount which could have been harvested on the land withdrawn from production. Farmers are free to sell this wheat on the market. How much is produced by farmers now? How much is supplied indirectly to the market by the government? What is the new market price? How much do the farmers gain? Do consumers gain or lose?
Since the free market supply by farmers is 20 billion bushels, the 25 percent reduction needed by the new Payment-In-Kind (PIK) Program would imply that the farmers now generate 15 billion bushels. To encourage farmers to withdraw their land from cultivation, the government have to give them 5 billion bushels, which they sell on the market.
Since the total supply to the market is still 20 billion bushels, the market price does not change; this remains at $4 per bushel. The farmers gain $20 billion, equal to ($4)(5 billion bushels), from the PIK Program, since they incur no costs in supplying the wheat (which they received from the government) to the market. The PIK program does not influence consumers in the wheat market, since they purchase the similar amount at the same price as they did in the free market case.

   Related Questions in Microeconomics

  • Q : Market structure of monopoly A monopoly

    A monopoly is a type of market structure in that one: (w) seller produces whole industry’s output. (x) giant firm is a price taker. (y) barrier to entry exists. (z) giant firm is the single buyer of resources.

    Q : Minimum Wage Laws-Unemployment Rises in

    Rises in the legal minimum wage rate have not been answerable for rising: (i) Unemployment among the teenagers. (ii) Racial discrimination in the employment. (iii) Unemployment between skilled workers who have lost their jobs since of competition from the cheaper impo

  • Q : Cross price elasticities of demand The

    The cross price elasticities of demand are possibly most positive for: (w) shoe repairs and new shoes. (x) syrup and waffles. (y) gasoline and limousines. (z) college tuitions and textbooks. How can I solve my

  • Q : Production and Value The People who

    The People who work in financial markets are least probable to make value by being productive via alteration of the: (i) Time when the materials are accessible. (ii) Place of materials. (iii) Form of materials. (iv) Possession or ownership of the materials.

  • Q : Relative Income to Measures and

    From 1976 year, after adjusting income for taxes and transfers, the relative income group which, according to the Department of the Census, which has decreased most markedly like a percentage of the U.S. population ha

  • Q : Substitution effect on supply curves

    One of the reasons for positive relationship among relative price and quantity supplied is the: (1) Technology effect, whereby bigger firms generate at lower average costs than the smaller firms. (2) Substitution effect, whereby firms switch among for

  • Q : Define primary deficit Primary deficit

    Primary deficit: Primary deficit is the difference among fiscal deficit and interest payments prepared by the government Primary deficit = Fiscal deficit – Interest payments

  • Q : Annuity of the Perpetuity Dividing the

    Dividing the annuity of the perpetuity by the interest rate gives in the perpetuity’s: (w) rate of return. (x) present value. (y) internal rate of discount. (z) capitalization rate. Can someo

  • Q : Prevent operating in long run by

    A monopolist will prevent operating within the long run unless its economic profit is: (i) zero. (ii) positive. (iii) greater than accounting profit. (iv) zero or greater. (v) zero or less. I need a good answer on

  • Q : Define monetary policy Define monetary

    Define monetary policy? What monetary measure can be accepted to control the condition of excess demand? It is the policy accepted by central bank exercising control over money rate of interest and credit situatio