Evaluating Support Policies of Milk Producers in Iran:

In this study, support policies of milk producers were investigated during the fourth Economic, Social, and Cultural Development Program (1989 - 2008) in Iran. Support amounts were estimated by Producers Support Estimate (PSE) and Percentage PSE (%PSE) indicators. Data needed to calculate the indexes are taken from the statistical and library resources. Research findings show that support for milk producers in all the years studied were negative and the average support during the first and fourth programs was estimated to be -81, -71, -38 and -18 billion Rials, respectively. Although, PSE % indicator had increasing trend and increased from -90 percent in the first program to -35.6 percent in the fourth program. The results also revealed that market price support had increasing trend during development programs, whereas government’s budgetary supports for milk producers had decreasing trend; and energy subsidy had the biggest share in government’s budgetary supports.