WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/AG/N/PAN/24 
13 June 2012 
 (12-3117) 
Committee on Agriculture Original: Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
  The following submission, dated 1 May 2012, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of Panama .  The notification concerns domestic support commitments ( Table DS:1 and 
the relevant Supporting Tables) for the year  2010 . 
 
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 The only domestic support measures applie d by Panama in 2010, as covered by the 
Agreement on Agriculture, are those listed in th e attached Supporting Tables DS:1 and DS:2. 
 
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  G/AG/N/PAN/24 
Page 2 Supporting Table DS:1 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Panama 
 
REPORTING PERIOD:  2010 
 
Measures Exempt from the Reduc tion Commitment - "Green Box" 
 
Measure type Name and description of measure with 
reference to criteria in Annex 2 Monetary value of measure  
in year in question 
(in balboas) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
(a) General services  Ministry of Agricultural Development(1)
Establishes general policy for the agricultu re sector;  provides technical assistance 
for the country's producers;  is responsible for pest control and sanitary surveillance 
at the domestic level and for agricultural exports;  and establishes the basis for 
running the sector in general. 58,376,256 MIDA-DPS 
 Agricultural Research Programme (IDIAP) 
The IDIAP develops, implements and promotes mechanisms and instruments that 
guarantee and facilitate timely access to new technologies, goods and scientific and 
other services, derived from research and adaptation work, with a view to developing 
the country's agricultural production. 2,973,496 IDIAP 
 Screwworm eradication and control 
Eradication of the screwworm fly;  esta blishment and maintenance of a control 
barrier and the release of sterile screwwor m flies in Panama through the plant in 
operation. 14,990,881 MIDA-DPS 
 Health campaigns for prevention, treatment (toxicology and 
diseases), standardization and integrated pest management 
General plant and animal health campaigns, including payments for sanitary 
slaughter with a view to the complete eradication of bovine tuberculosis from the 
Bocas del Toro area, traceability systems,  diagnostic systems and monitoring 
systems. 811,901 MIDA-DPS  
   G/AG/N/PAN/24
 Page 3Measure type Name and description of measure with 
reference to criteria in Annex 2 Monetary value of measure  
in year in question 
(in balboas) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
 Subsistence farming and sustainable agriculture programmes, including crop 
promotion, use of accessible techno logy and environmental protection 
Fostering of food and nutrition security for vulnerable rural households through 
self-production of food.  Income improvement programmes and rural employment creation programmes.  Pr ogrammes for the development of rural communities 
through agro-tourism, participatory development and rural modernization, including 
programmes for the promotion of equal opportunities (gender equality).  6,058,510 MIDA-DPS 
 Farming promotion and technological development programme 
Development of controlled-environment farming, improvement of established 
plantations, dissemination of livestock technology with drought preparation 
programmes, and provision of training and transfer of technology through visits, 
demonstrations of production activities and business self-management coaching for groups of producers. 1,322,341 MIDA-DPS 
 Programme to modernize and strength en regions and outreach agencies 
Provision of supplementary audiovisual and other equipment as a support for 
producer training geared towards strengthening their technical skills, knowledge and 
use of technology, with a view to modernizing their agricultural activities.  Includes 
crop-zoning programmes for better use of natural resources. 675,943 MIDA-DPS 
 Trade information service programme:   Agricultural Marketing Institute 
Conducts surveys to collect national production data by product and by sector, and 
provides information on international prices and general marketing conditions to other agricultural marketing boards and the general public. 1,455,688 IMA 
 Promotion programmes:  Agricultural Marketing Institute 
Modernization of the Open fairs programme to improve producers' direct marketing 
of agricultural production, pr oviding access to points of sale, logistical support, 
collection centres (stall awnings, shelving, freezers, scale weights,  vehicles, lorries, 
lifting devices, etc.), agro-industrial services (storage, drying, milling, packing, etc.) 
and a cold chain.  2,213,528 MIDA-IMA 
 Production road programmes 
Rehabilitation of rural roads in national ag ricultural areas, with the construction of 
ditches and roads and spraying of selected materials. 83,786 MIDA-DPS  
  G/AG/N/PAN/24 
Page 4 Measure type Name and description of measure with 
reference to criteria in Annex 2 Monetary value of measure  
in year in question 
(in balboas) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
 Irrigation programmes 
Modernization of irrigation infrastructure, including the construction, rehabilitation, 
maintenance and repair of hydraulic stru ctures and conduits, and acquisition of 
pumping equipment for irrigation systems for public use.  Includes funding of the Barú, Tonosí and Remigio Rojas irrigation works.  2,133,681 MIDA-DPS 
 Rehabilitation of other infrastructure 
Rehabilitation and equipping of public infr astructure with a view to providing 
producer support, e.g. cleaning and adaptation of silos and cold storage facilities to 
help producers with produce storage.  784,147 IMA 
(f) Payments for relief from 
natural disasters  Special Contingency Credit Fund (Law No. 24) 
Financial assistance programme providing credit at preferential interest rates to 
agricultural producers affected by adverse weather conditions and other contingencies. 322,445 BDA 
(i) Structural adjustment 
assistance provided through investment aids Cattle improvement programme 
Large-scale bovine breeding stock replacement scheme and establishment of a 
bovine reproduction laboratory to acceler ate improvement of herd productive 
capacity and improve the quality of bovine meat and meat products on domestic and 
international markets.  149,206 MIDA-DPS 
 Goat genetic improvement programme in Panama 
Programme to improve the quantity and quality of the ovicaprid population in 
Panama through genetic, nutritional and zootechnical improvement, thereby offering a real alternative to small and medium-sized producers interested in the development 
of this activity.  59,578 MIDA-DPS 
 Agricultural processing programme (Law No. 25) 
Direct non-refundable support covering part of the technological investment in 
agricultural processing with a view to overcoming structural weaknesses in the 
relevant production chain. 5,751,752 MIDA-OTA  
   G/AG/N/PAN/24
 Page 5Measure type Name and description of measure with 
reference to criteria in Annex 2 Monetary value of measure  
in year in question 
(in balboas) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
 Agricultural competitiveness programme 
Direct support at a percentage of the inve stment made by the producer with bank or 
cooperative financing, with a view to increasing the productivity of agricultural 
activities in order to consolidate existing production.  Investment assistance and support geared towards the use of private specialized technical services that generate 
technological changes, improvements to  the marketing of produce and business 
management for agricultural producers, including risk management through 
insurance for productive hectar es and other vulnerabilities. 4,713,097 MIDA-FPCA 
 
MIDA-DPS:  Information supplied by the Sectoral Planning Directorate of the Ministry of Agricultural Development. 
OTA:  Information supplied by the Agricultural Processing Office (Law No. 25). 
BDA:  Information supplied by the Agricultural Development Bank. 
FPCA:  Information supplied by the Trust Office for the Agricultural Competitiveness Programme. IDIAP:  Information supplied by the Agricultural Research Institute. 
IMA:  Information supplied by the Agricultural Marketing Institute. 
(1) General services:  Figures refer to the actual annual operating budget in balboas of the Ministry of Agricultural Development,  as registered by Panama's Financial 
Administration System in the fiscal year 2010. 
Note: Figures for other components refer to the investment budge t in balboas of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and ot her agricultural sector bodies, as implemented 
in the fiscal year 2010 by programme and project. 
  
  G/AG/N/PAN/24 
Page 6 Supporting Table DS:2 
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Panama 
 
REPORTING PERIOD:  2010 
 
Measures Exempt from the Reduction Co mmitment - Special and D ifferential Treatment - "Development Programmes" 
 
Measure type Name and description of measure  
with reference to criteria in Article 6.2 Monetary value of measure  
in year in question 
(in balboas) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
Investment subsidies generally 
available to agriculture Agricultural credit and loan programme:  
Generally available loans to small-scale producers with an annual income not exceeding 
US$100,000.  The programme funds the banking 
system's loan portfolio in order to extend softer loans to the agricultural sector. 20,578,135.72 Banking Supervisory Authority:  Special 
Interest Compensation Fund (FECI) 
 
Prepared by the National Directorate for the Administration of International Trade Treaties and Trade Protection (DINATRADEC) o f the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MICI) 
on the basis of information supplied by the Banking Supervisory Authority. 
Note: Exchange rate:  1 US dollar = 1 Panamanian balboa. 
 
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