WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/AG/N/PAN/18 
1 April 2009 
 (09-1615) 
Committee on Agriculture Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
  The following submission, dated 9 February 2009, 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 2006 . 
  
  G/AG/N/PAN/18 
Page 2 Table DS:1 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Panama  
REPORTING PERIOD:  2006  
Current Total Aggregate Measurement of Support  
Total AMS commitment level for period in  question Currency Current Total AMS 
(from Section I of Part IV of the Schedule) (from Section I of Part IV of the Schedule) (from attached Supporting Tables) 
1 2 3 
- - "de minimis"  
   G/AG/N/PAN/18
 Page 3Supporting Table DS:1 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Panama  
REPORTING PERIOD:  2006  
Measures Exempt from the Reduction Commitment - "Green Box"  
Measure type Name and description of meas ure with reference to criteria in Annex 2 Monetary value of measure in year in 
question 
(B) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
(a) General services  Ministry of Agricultural Development(1) 
Establishes general policy for the agriculture sector;  provides technical 
assistance for the country's producers;  responsible for pest control and 
sanitary surveillance at the dome stic level and for agricultural 
imports/exports;  establishes the basis for running the sector in general. 39,581,109 MIDA-DPS 
Pest and disease control 
 Screwworm eradication and control  
Eradication of the screwworm fly;  establishment and maintenance of a 
control barrier and release of sterile screwworm flies in Panama through 
the plant in operation. 10,167,500 MIDA-DPS 
 Preventive health campaigns (toxicology and diseases)  
General plant and animal health campaigns. 217,943 MIDA-DPS 
Information services and training services 
 Subsistence farming and sustainabl e agriculture programmes, including 
crop promotion, use of accessibl e technology and environmental 
protection  
Aid and training programmes for subs istence farmers in remote areas, 
including programmes for the promoti on of equal opportunities (gender 
programmes), improvement of nutriti onal status and sustainability of 
productive resources.  Includes formalizing community organizations, 
developing management skills of participating social actors, and 
authorizing local production support infrastructures with the active participation of producers' families a nd organizations, in the context of 
sustainable natural resource management. 2,404,156 MIDA-DPS 
Extension and advisory services - transfer 
and research Farming promotion and technological development programme
 
Development of controlled-enviro nment farming, improvement of 
established plantations, disseminati on of livestock technology with 
drought preparedness programmes, and provision of training and transfer of technology through visits, demons trations of pro duction activities and 
business self-management coaching for groups of producers. 1,048,413 MIDA-DPS 
 Agricultural Research Programme (IDIAP)
 
Conducts key agricultural research projects;  helps farmers obtain 
improved plant and animal varieties and find more effective ways of 
cultivating land or feeding cattle;  mon itors the effects of  pesticides and 
other farming methods with a view to  ensuring the protection of human 
health. 823,451 MIDA-IDIAP  
  G/AG/N/PAN/18 
Page 4 Measure type Name and description of meas ure with reference to criteria in Annex 2 Monetary value of measure in year in 
question 
(B) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
 Programme to modernize and stre ngthen regions and outreach agencies  
Provision of supplementary audiovi sual 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 ac tivities.  Includes crop-zoning 
programmes for better use of natural resources. 173,057 MIDA-DPS 
Inspection, health, safety, 
standardization, etc. Inspection, health, standardization and integrated pest management 
programmes  
Measures geared towards maintaining and improving phytosanitary 
conditions in specific areas with coordinated diagnosis, trapping, 
surveying, sampling, discussion  and assessment activities.  
Comprehensive control programme for the mite Steneotarsonemus 
spinki , which adversely affected rice production.  Provision of toxic 
waste laboratory services and assi stance with traceability systems for 
agriculture and livestock production. 517,902 MIDA-DPS 
Marketing, promotion and market 
information services Trade information service programme :  Agricultural Marketing Institute  
Conducts surveys to collect nationa l 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. 98,128 
 MIDA-IMA 
Infrastructure services (irrigation, 
dams/reservoirs, environmental 
programmes, roads, etc.) Production road programme  
Rehabilitation of rural roads in na tional agricultural areas, with the 
construction of ditches and roads a nd spraying of selected materials. 1,853,097 MIDA-DPS 
 Irrigation programmes  
Modernization of irrigation infrastructure, including construction, 
rehabilitation, maintenance and repa ir of hydraulic structures and 
conduits, and acquisition of pumping equipment for irrigation systems for public use. 11,731,943 MIDA-DPS 
 Rehabilitation of other infrastructure
 
Rehabilitation and equipping of public infrastructure with a view to 
providing producer support, e.g. processing plants for training in 
agro-industrial techniques, silos, cold -storage plants and reproduction of 
genetic material for distribution to producers. 1,526,327 MIDA-DPS 
     
   G/AG/N/PAN/18
 Page 5Measure type Name and description of meas ure with reference to criteria in Annex 2 Monetary value of measure in year in 
question 
(B) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
(f) Payments for relief from natural 
disasters  Agricultural insurance programme:  Agricultural Insu rance Institute 
(ISA)  
Supports investors whose crops or herds have suffered losses due to 
natural disasters, climate change or  other events, and helps to finance 
their activities by insuring cropped areas and herds.  938,538 MIDA-ISA 
 Special Contingency Credit Fund (Law No. 24)  
Financial assistance programme providi ng credit at preferential interest 
rates to agricultural producers affect ed by adverse weather conditions 
and other contingencies. 2,124,011 MIDA-FECC 
 Other support payments for loss of production caused by natural 
disasters  
Indemnification of banana producer s who lost their plantations in 
hurricane-strength winds and cattle fa rmers for losses due to bovine 
pneumonia caused by low temperatures. 693,879 MIDA-OPC 
    
(i) Structural adjustment assistance 
provided through investment aids Cattle improvement programme  
Large-scale bovine breeding stock replacement scheme to accelerate improvement of herd productive capacity and boost competitiveness in 
domestic and international markets. 611,326 MIDA-DPS 
 Agricultural processing programme (Law No. 25)
 
Direct support for investment in  technology and soft loans for 
agricultural processing with a view to  overcoming structural deficiencies 
in the relevant production chain. 3,721,314 MIDA-OTA 
    
 
Prepared by the Trade Policy Office (OPC) of the Ministry of Agricultura l Development (MIDA) on the basis of information suppli ed by the following bodies:  Sectoral Planning Directorate (DPS), Agricultural 
Processing Office (OTA, Law No. 25), Office for the Special Conti ngency Credit Fund (FECC, Law No. 24), Agricultural Research I nstitute (IDIAP), Agricultural Insura nce Institute (ISA) and Agricultural 
Marketing Institute (IMA). 
(1) General Services:  Refers to the actual annual operating budget in balboas registered by Panama's Financial Administration Sys tem in the fiscal year 2006. 
Note :  Details of other components refer to the investment budget in balboas, as implemente d in the fiscal year 2006 by programme a nd sub-project. 
 Exchange rate:  1 US dollar = 1 Panamanian balboa (B).  
  G/AG/N/PAN/18 
Page 6 Supporting Table DS:2 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Panama 
REPORTING PERIOD:  2006 
Measures Exempt from the Reduction Commitment – Speci al and Differential 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
(B) Data source 
1 2 3 4 
Investment subsidies generally available to 
agriculture Agricultural credit and loan pr ogramme:  generally available 
loans to small-scale producers with an annual income not 
exceeding US$100,000.  The pr ogramme funds the banking 
system's loan portfolio in orde r to extend softer loans to the 
agricultural sector. 
 12,241,155.40 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 dolla r = 1 Panamanian balboa (B). 
   G/AG/N/PAN/18
 Page 7Supporting Table DS:4 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Panama 
REPORTING PERIOD:  2006 
Calculation of the Current 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) 
(B) Product-specific measurements of support (from 
Supporting Table DS:8 below) Current Total AMS (aggregate) 
 
(B) 
1 2 3 4 
Industrial tomatoes 51,871 - "de minimis"(1) 
    
 
Prepared by the Trade Policy Offi ce (OPC) of the Ministry of Ag ricultural Development (MIDA). 
(1) The total gross value of industrial tomato producti on in 2006 amounted to B 1,389,840 at 2006 market prices. 
Note :  Exchange rate:  1 US dolla r = 1 Panamanian balboa (B). 
  
  G/AG/N/PAN/18 
Page 8 Supporting Table DS:6 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT:  Panama 
REPORTING PERIOD:  2006 
Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of  Support:  Non-Exempt Direct Payments 
Description of basic 
products Calendar 
year 
2006 Measure type(s) Applied 
administered priceExternal 
reference price Production 
eligible to receive 
the applied 
administered 
price 
(kilos) Total price-related 
direct payments 
 
 
(B) Other 
non-exempt 
direct payments
 
(B) Associated 
fees/levies Total direct 
payments 
 
 
(B) Data source 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
((4-5)*6) 8 9 10 
(7+8-9) 11 
Industrial tomatoes(1)  Direct payment for 
price differential   9,100,117 51,871   51,871 MIDA-OPC 
 
Prepared by the Trade Policy Offi ce (OPC) of the Ministry of Ag ricultural Development (MIDA). 
(1) A budgetary outlay of B 51,871 is the result of price support pe r kilo corresponding to the difference between the reference p rice (B 0.1190 per kilo), agreed upon by producers as a price for their crops, and 
the price paid by processing industries for production purchased (B 0.1133 per kilo), i.e. budgetary outlays for support were g iven on the basis of B 0.0057 per kilo of tomatoes delivered to the industries. 
Note :  Exchange rate:  1 US dolla r = 1 Panamanian balboa (B). 
 
__________