RESTRICTED  
  
WT/ACC/SPEC/COM/3  
7 October  2016 
(16-5438) 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  
The following submission , dated 26 September  2016, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of the Union of the Comoro s. 
 
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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 770, 000 inhabitants (2014), 
three  quarters of whom live in rural are as. 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 representative reference period cover s the last three years  (2012, 2013 and 2014).  
 
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 Supporting Tables . 
 
Domestic Support  
 
As agricul tural production is insufficient, the sector  has received support through , inter alia, the 
restoration  of cisterns, rainwater catchment a nd irrigation systems  and the provision of  inputs 
(245 tonnes of chemica l fertilizers, 200 kg of market -garden seeds  and 542 ton nes of feed in 
2014)1, which has boosted  agricultural production  and subsequently provided  farmers threatened 
by phytosanitary issues such as crop pests (banana weevils, fruit flies, coconut and cassava 
whiteflies  and aphids)  with substantial earn ings. Such support serves both environmental and 
agriculture purposes . The figures quoted in Table DS:1 for this category are those expenditures 
tracked by the Ministry of Production, Environment, Energy, Industry and Handicrafts . 
 
Moreover, in accordance with Order No. 012 – 004/VP -MPEEIA/CAB  on total exemption from taxes 
and customs duties on agricultural and fishing inputs and Law No. 07 – 0010/AU  on the 
Investment Code , the sector enjoys exemptions which are lost revenues for the Government . It 
should b e noted that the country does not  yet have a system in place for recording reliable 
statistical data.  
 
It should also be noted that , as a result of a poor harvest over two consecutive years 
(2004 -2005), in 2013 the Government provided income support to ind ebted farmers . 
 
Salaries and wages form 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 , 2014.    
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Supporting Table DS:1  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PE RIOD: 2012, 2013 AND 2014  
Measures exempt 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  
(million CF) Data sources  
2012  2013  2014  Average  
2012 -2014  
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 0 166.67 Idem 
Income insurance and income safety -net 
programmes  None     Idem 
Payments for relief from natural disasters  None     Idem 
 
Structural adjustment assistance provided 
through producer retirement programmes  None     Idem 
 
Structural adjustment  assistance provided 
through resource retirement programmes  None     Idem 
Structural adjustment assistance provided 
through investment aids  None     Idem 
General Services  Research on combat ing the cassava 
mosaic virus  0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Research 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 
production  0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Korea -Africa Food and Agriculture 
Cooperation Initiative (chick production)  0 0 0 0 Idem 
 Sanitary and phytosanitary capacity 
building  0 110.015 226.82 112.27 Ministry of Production  
 
NB: The monetary value zero  (0) signifies that there is no contr ibution from the Government . The support mechanisms depend solely on contributions from donors . 
 
   
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Supporting Table  DS:2  
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2 012/2013/2014  
Measures exempt from the reduction commitment  – Special and D ifferential Treatment  – "Development Programmes " 
Measure type  Name and description of measure with reference to criteria in 
Article  6:2 of the Agreement on Agriculture  Monetary value of measure in year in 
question (million CF) Data 
sources  
(a) Investment subs idies generally 
available to agriculture  
 
(b) Input subsidies generally 
available to low -income or 
resource -poor producers   
 
 
 
- Feed; seeds, farming tools , fertilizer , pesticides  
 
 2012 2013 2014 Ministry of 
Finance    
 
 
131,924, 463  
 
 
154,413, 408  
 
 
309,99 8,073 
 
 
 
   
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Supporting Table DS:3  
 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2 012/2013/2014  
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 PERI OD: 2012/2013/2014  
Calculation of the Total Aggregate Measurement of Support  
Description 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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Supporting Table  DS:5  
 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2 012/2013/2014  
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  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2 012/2013/2014  
Product -Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support : Non-Exempt Direct Payments  
Description 
of basic 
product s Calendar/  
marketing year 
beginning...  Measure 
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: 2 012/2013/2014  
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: 2 012/2013/2014  
Product -Specific Equivalent 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 Table  DS:9  
 
DOMESTIC SUPP ORT: UNION OF THE COMOROS  
REPORTING PERIOD: 2 012/2013/2014  
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/levies  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: 2 012/2013/2014  
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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