KÉNYSZERŰ ÉRTÉKVESZTÉS A MEZŐGAZDASÁGI TERMÉKEK PIACÁN

Witnessing the long-standing resource insufficiency in Hungarian agriculture, the question arises: aside from obviously low efficiencies, to what extent have unfavorable prices led to this situation. In my presentation I will try to answer the question whether, assuming some kind of value-categories or other as given and measured against this, the permanent erosion of agricultural prices can be established. If so, could declining prices be connected to specific features of the agricultural sector? These answers may be useful for experts in make arrangements for decisions of agricultural policy. Research on micro-economic principles, shows that for an analysis of the value-distortion of our prices the equilibrium prices of the so-called “Walras market” (a hypothetical market model) may be used as a starting point. In comparison with these can be shown that oligopol and oligopson market players tend to raise sales prices and reduce purchase prices, and reduce quantities. Due to the nature of their business farmers as suppliers must accept further drop in prices from oligopolies (selling production capacity in a strong market position) and from oligopsonies purchasing agricultural products. Subsidies acquired legally for other purposes have been used by farmers to compensate created by the steady erosion of prices over the past few decades, a phenomenon not seen in other sectors and essentially attributed to agriculture.