أثر التغييرات الهيكلية في الخطط و البرامج الزراعية على أداء القطاع الزراعي الليبي

Abstract EN

Since the discovery of oil in the 1950s of the previous century, Libya relied almost entirely on oil revenues as sponsor for economic development, where the oil contributes more than 50% to GDP and about 75% of the export revenues.

Libya sought to diversify its sources of income through plans and programmes for all intensive economic sectors depending on oil revenues.

although the agricultural sector in Libya has the financial and natural potential to make the agricultural sector more effective, it is confronted by many challenges that prevent its effective development.

the Libyan government in the nineteen-seventies and the nineteen eighties (huge financial returns were available as a result of the high oil prices during that period) formulated policies for agricultural development through a set of medium-term plans (three-year plan 1973-1975, five-year plan 1976/1980 and five-year plan1981-1986).

however, by the middle of the nineteen-eighties (drop in oil prices and the deterioration of the GDP) there was a change in the mechanism of these programmes and plans, to a series of annual policies.

this study aims to illustrate the effect of oil revenue on the Libyan agricultural performance.

the findings indicated that the performance of the agricultural sector in the period of medium term plans, achieved higher contributions to the GDP.

the performance of the agriculture sector declined when policies were developed on an annual basis and the government withdrew its subsidies for the sector.

the distinguishing feature of the two approaches to agricultural policies in Libya is their diverse impact on the performance of the agricultural sector.

in addition, the decline of oil prices in the eighties was the main reason behind the change in approach to policy.

the main contributory value of this study is that it provides in-depth understanding of how changing policies impact on the performance of the agricultural sector in Libya.