المستخلص: |
The economic reform started in Egypt nearly ten years ago in all sectors. However, the agriculture sector is a leading one, as the reform started 15 years ago. The study assesses the importance of economic reform in general and the importance of agriculture reform in particular, on farmers’ welfare standard. Some variables related to farmers’ sources of income such as crop prices (rice and cotton), yearly production cost, and agriculture workers' conditions before and after issuing of land law No. 96/1992, were tested. Through sectoral analysis, the paper attempts to estimate the welfare effects of free market economy in the agriculture sector on farmers. The assumption was that "agriculture reform has affected negatively on farmers' Welfare standards". Both primary and secondary data were depended on in the analysis. Surveys were conducted with a sample of farmers and agriculture workers and an SPSS statistical program was used in the analysis. The general finding confirmed the hypothesis that farmers' annual incomes have been decreasing and diminishing since the freeing of the agriculture sector, which means a decrease of farmers' welfare standards. Policy implications and suggestions are presented in the closing section of the study.
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