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WT/ACC/SPEC/COM/3 /Rev.1  
11 July 2023 
(23-4687) Page: 1/12 
Working Party on the Accession  of  
the Union of the Comoros  Original:  French  
 
  ACCESSION  OF THE UNION OF THE COMOROS  
INFORMATION ON DOMESTIC SUPPORT AND EXPORT  
SUBSIDIES IN AGRICULTURE  
Revision  
The following submission , dated 10 July 2023, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the Union of the Comoro s. 
 
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 WT/ACC/SPEC/COM/3 /Rev.1  
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Explanatory Notes : Supporting Tables DS:1 to DS:9 and  ES:1 – Domestic Support  
and Export Subsidies in the Agricultural Sector  
The population of the Union of the Comoros is estimated at 821,625 inhabitants ( 2021), 
three  quart ers of whom live in rural  areas. Agriculture accounts for approximately 49 % of GDP and  
80% of employment . Three unprocessed and semi -processed agricultural products – vanilla, cloves 
and ylang -ylang oil  – generate over  90% of export earnings . 
 
The represen tative reference period c overs the last three years  (2020, 2021 and 2022). 
 
A number of measures benefit from technical and financial aid provided by donor countries and the 
aid component has been excluded from the figures quoted in the Suppor ting Tables . 
 
Domestic Support  
 
As agr icultural production is insufficient, the sector  has received support through , inter alia, the 
restoration  of cisterns, rainwater catchment a nd irrigation systems , farm mechanization  and the 
provision of  inputs (200 tonnes of chemica l fertilizers, 10,000  kg of market -garden seeds  and 
200 tonnes of feed in 2020)1, which has boosted  agricultural production  (garden produce , food 
crops and others ) and subsequently provided  farmers threatened by phytosanitary  issues such as 
crop pests (banana weevils, fruit flie s, coconut and cassava whiteflies  and aphids)  with substantial 
earnings. Such support serves both environmental and agriculture purposes . The figures quoted in 
Table DS:1 for this category are those exp enditures tracked by the Ministry of Production, 
Environment, Energy, Industry and Handicrafts . 
 
Moreover, in accordance with Joint Order No. 01 – 004/VP -MPEEIA/CAB  and 
No. 017-004/MFB/CAB  on total exemption from taxes and customs duties on agricultural a nd 
fishing inputs and Law No. 07 – 0010/AU  on the Inves tment Code , the sector enjoys exemptions 
which are lost revenues for the Government  in the area of public resources (c ustoms revenue) . It 
should b e noted that the country does not  yet have a system in place for recording reliable 
statistical data.  
 
It shou ld also be noted that , following a difficult period  over two consecutive years ( 2019-2020), 
marked b y natural disasters (Cyclone Kenneth),  in 2020 the Government  provided income support 
to vanilla producers  in the form of crop insurance under the aid progr amme for f armer s who have 
lost income , a KMF 300 million  state subsidy . This fund is intended to:  
 
1. support farmers, producers and food manufac turers in obtaining insurance for bank 
loans (Annex 2 , paragraph  8, to the WTO Agreement on Agriculture) ; 
 
2. compensate them for produce sold at a loss due to low inco me levels: income 
insurance programme (Annex 2 , paragraph s 6 and 7 , to the WTO Agreement  on 
Agriculture) . 
 
This offers  substantia l support for producers of va nilla for export.  
 
Salaries and wages for m the bulk of the Government's expenditure for domestic support.  
 
 
Export Subsides  
The Union of the Comoros does not provide export subsidies.  
 
 
1 Central Bank of Comoros Report , 2021.   
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Supporting Table DS:1  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PE RIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Measures exem pt from the reduction commitment  - "Green Box " 
Measure type  Name and description of measure 
with reference to criteria in Annex 2 
of the Agreement on Agriculture  Monetary value of measure  
in year in question  
(KMF) Data sources  
2020 2021 2022 Average  
2020-2022 
1 2 3 4 5 6=(3+4+5)  /3 4 
Public stockholding for food security 
purposes  None     Ministry of Production  
 
Domestic food aid  None     Idem 
Decoupled income support  Support for indebted farmers  0 500,000,000  0 166,670,000  Idem 
Income insurance an d income 
safety -net programmes  None     Idem 
Payments for relief from natural 
disasters  Support for vanilla  produc ers   300,000,000  100,000,000  Idem 
 
Structural adjustment assistance 
provided through producer retirement 
programmes  None     Idem 
 
Structu ral adjustment  assistance 
provided through resource retirement 
programmes  None     Idem 
Structural adjustme nt assistance 
provided through investment aids  None     Idem 
General Services  Research on combat ing the cassava 
mosaic virus  0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Researc h on improved varieties of 
maize  0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Introduction of semen  to genetica lly 
improve local livestock  (dairy cattle ): 
2,000 doses  0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Training on  diagnosing viruses on plants  0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Training on new techniques in 
agricultural produ ction 0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Korea -Africa Food and Agriculture 
Cooperation Initiative (chick production)  0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Sanitary and phytosanitary capacity 
building  110,150,000 226,820,000  112,270,000  149,746,667  Ministry of Production  
 
NB: The monetary value zero (0) signifies that there is no contr ibution from the Government . The support mechan isms depend solely on contributions from donors .   
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Supporting Table  DS:2  
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Measures exempt fr om the reduction commitment  – Special and D ifferential Treatment  – "Developme nt Programmes " 
Measure type  Name and description of measure with reference to criteria  Monetary value of measure in year in question 
(KMF) Data 
sources  
(a) Investment subs idies generally 
available to ag riculture . Farming tools  2020 2021 2022 
Ministry of 
Finance  0 0 0 
(b) Input subsidies  generally available 
to low -income or resource -poor 
producers . Feed, seeds, fertilizer, pe sticides  138,355,804.09  251,397,746.09  163,935,433. 09 
 
 
 
   
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Supporting Table DS:3  
 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Measures exempt from the reduction commitment  – Direct Payments under Production -Limiting  
Programmes  – "Exempt Direct Payments " 
Measure type  Name  and description of measure with reference to  
criteria in Article 6:5 of the Agreement on Agriculture  Monetary value of 
measure in year in 
question  Data sources  
1 2 3 4 
NONE  
 
   
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Supporting Table  DS:4  
 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PER IOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Calculation of the Total Aggregate Measurement of Support  
Descri ption of basic products  
(including non -product -specific 
AMS)  Product -specific AMS  (from 
Supporting Tables DS:5 to 
DS:7 below ) Product -specific measurements of support  
(from  Supporting Table  DS:8 below ) Current total AMS (aggregate)  
1 2 3 4 
NONE   
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Support ing Table  DS:5  
 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Product -Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support : Market Price Support  
Description  of 
basic products  Calendar / 
marketing year  
beginning ... Measure 
type(s) Applied 
administered 
price  External 
reference price  Eligible 
production  Associated 
fees/levies  Total market 
price support  Data sources  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 = 
((4-5*6)-7) 9 
NONE  
 
   
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Supp orting Table  DS:6  
 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORT ING PERIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Product -Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support : Non-Exempt Direct Payments  
Description 
of basic 
product s Calendar/  
marketing year 
beginning...  Meas ure 
type(s)  Applied 
administered 
price  External 
reference 
price Eligible 
production  Total 
price -related 
direct 
payments  Other 
non-exempt 
direct 
payments  Associated 
fees/levies  Total direct 
payments  Data sources  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 = 
((4-5)*6)  8 9 10 = 
(7+8-9) 11 
NONE 
 
   
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Supporting Table  DS:7  
 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Product -Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support : Other Product -Specific Support and Total Product -Specific AMS  
Description 
of basic 
product s Calendar/  
marketi ng year 
beginning...  Measures  
type(s)  Other 
product -spe
cific 
budgetary 
outlays  Other 
product -spec
ific support 
(include 
calculation 
details)  Associated 
fees/levies  Total other 
product -spe
cific support  Market price 
support  
(Supporting 
Table  DS:5)  Non-exempt 
direct 
payments  
(Supporting 
Table DS:6)  Total AMS  Data 
sources  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 = 
(4+5-6) 8 9 10 = 
(7+8+9)  11 
NONE 
 
   
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Supporting Table  DS:8  
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Product -Specific Equiv alent Measurements of  Support  
Description 
of basic 
products  Calendar/  
marketing year 
beginning...  Measure 
type(s)  Applied 
administered 
price  Production 
eligible to 
receive the 
applied 
administered 
price  Market 
price 
support 
budgetary 
outlays  Equivalent 
measurement 
of support  
(include 
calculation 
details ) Non-exempt 
direct 
payments  Other 
product -specific 
support  Associated 
fees/levies  Total 
monetary 
value of 
equivalent 
commitment  Data 
sources  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 = 
(7+8+9 -10) 12 
NONE 
 
   
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Supporting Tabl e DS:9  
 
DOMESTIC SUPP ORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Non-Product -Specific AMS  
Measure type(s)  Calendar/marketing  
year Non-product -specific 
budgetary outlays  Other 
non-product -specific 
support  (include 
calculation details ) Associated fees/levie s Total  
non-product -specif
ic support  Data sources  
1 2 3 4 5 6 = (3+4 -5) 7 
NONE 
 
   
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Supporting Table  ES:1 
 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2020 - 2021 - 2022 
Export Subsidies : Outlay and Quantity  
Description of  
products  Direct export 
subsi dies Sales of stocks  Producer -financ
ed subsidies  Cost-reduction 
measures  Internal 
transport 
subsidies  Total 
product -specific 
export subsidies  Quantity of 
subsidized exports  Data source  
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 
NONE 
 
 
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