Administered commodity price schemes in developing countries have proved ineffective in raising farmers' incomes, and price stabilisation through futures markets is increasingly advocated as the alternative policy objective. A potential difficulty is that farmers tend not to hedge extensively, even in developed countries where access to futures markets is long established. Explanations for this reluctance are examined here with context provided by the Mexican hedging programme, which incorporates financial incentives to spur adoption. Applying representative data for corn to a well-known analysis of the hedging decision suggests that limited participation may reflect rational calculation rather than farmer 'inertia'. A policy implication is that permanent access subsidies are difficult to justify from the national perspective.

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To cite this article: P.N. Snowden (1987) Financial market liberalisation in LDCs: The incidence of risk allocation effects of interest rate increases, The Journal of Development Studies, 24:1, 83-93, 'High' deposit interest rates are central to the financial liberalisation argument. The article investigates the relatively neglected issue of who must pay. Two issues are stressed. If loan charges increase the incidence falls on (typically), highly geared businesses and overall financial saving may not rise as claimed. Second, although loan charges need not increase (and enhanced credit availability may compensate borrowers if they do), the financial risks of banks increase. These risks are pertinent to monetary policy and may force actions contrary to the liberalisation approach. Institutional developments to foster the supply of risk-bearing capital are emphasised in conclusion.

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