Farm share and price spread in Australia's sugar supply chain

Overview \r\n This study uses a case study approach to demonstrate the potential to estimate farm shares and price spreads in Australia using a relatively simple methodology developed by the United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. In this instance, the methodology has been applied to Australian sugar price data. \r\n\r\n Key Points \r\n• The study demonstrates that data is available that allows an analysis of farm share and price spread for raw sugar exports and refined sugar sold at retail outlets. \r\n• The analysis shows that trends in farm shares of retail and export prices were relatively flat between 1984-85 and 2014-15. So too were trends in farm-to-retail and farm-to-export price spreads. \r\n• If it is assumed that the emergence of market power beyond the farm gate is likely to be reflected in changes in trends in farm share and price spread, then these results suggest that there has been no obvious change in market power within the sugar industry over this period. \r\n

研究概述
本研究采用案例研究方法，展示了利用美国农业部经济研究服务局（United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service）开发的相对简便的分析框架，估算澳大利亚农场份额（farm share）与价格价差（price spread）的可行性。本次研究将该方法应用于澳大利亚食糖价格数据的分析实践中。

关键要点
• 本研究证实，现有数据可支撑原糖出口及零售终端销售的精制糖的农场份额与价格价差分析。
• 分析结果表明，1984-1985年至2014-2015年间，零售价格与出口价格中的农场份额变化趋势相对平稳；农场至零售环节、农场至出口环节的价格价差变化趋势亦保持平稳。
• 若假定农场环节以外的市场势力（market power）变动可通过农场份额与价格价差的趋势变化得以反映，则上述结果表明，在此期间澳大利亚食糖行业的市场势力并未出现显著变化。