Market analysis of cheese, butter, nonfat dry milk, and butter oil in Jamaica

The review included an analysis of commercial imports of these commodities to "determine the extent to which the P.L. 480 commodities affect commercial imports." Over the three years of existence of the non-profit (JADF) which imports these commodities, the P.L. 480 imports have ranged from 31.3% to 41.9% of total imports. This is below the informal guideline limits of 50-50 percent followed since the inception of JADF. The dairy industry wholesaler buys JADF products at a lower cost than other cheese, which allows them to offer it at a lower price to consumers. Given the importance of price on consumption of dairy products in Jamaica, "it is likely that more cheese is consumed" through the subsidization effects of P.L. 480. (Author abstract, from PN-ABD-893)