Government Intervention and Trends in the Indian Oilseeds Sector: An Analysis of Alternative Policy Scenarios

Although the overall agricultural sector in India is characterized by significant taxes on producers and subsidies to consumers, the patterns in the case of oilseed crops and products are mixed. This paper analyzes some important trends in the Indian oilseeds sector, and employs the concepts of Producer Subsidy Equivalents (PSE) and Consumer Subsidy Equivalents (CSE) to measure the level of government intervention. The author also analyzes the impact of several policy scenarios on India's soybean import demand.