DEMAND FOR MAIZE SEED IN COSTA RICA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH IMPORTS AND AGRICULTURAL POLICIES

Abstract

This research determined the relationship between the dynamics of maize seed imports and the implementation of agricultural and trade policies on the dynamics of maize seed demand in Costa Rica. Maize imports depend on the real per capita income of national consumers, maize international price, and trade liberalization policies. The demand for seed depends on a fixed technical factor per hectare of maize harvested, so we modeled the maize harvested area function, which was found to follow an autoregressive component in response to yield and fertilizer price shocks. Policy makers can take these findings into account and incorporate them into the design of food security and trade relations policies.

Keywords

• food security
• forecasting
• agricultural economics
• econometrics
• agricultural policies