105. Policy inconsistencies in the agriculture sector provide disincentives for large scale
private sector investment. Even the well-intentioned policies in agriculture sector tended to
change frequently with changes in political leadership, but with a common feature of reliance on
special initiatives, programs, and projects to provide immediate solutions to pressing crises. Many
special initiatives and programs have been financially unsustainable (the most recent example
being the crop intensification program launched during the 2008 contre saison). Market
participants all along the supply chain frequently express frustration that government policies are
inconsistent and counter-productive. The criticism is heard especially often in the rice sub-sector,
where farmers, processors, and traders say they are discouraged by the unclear and conflicting
messages being transmitted by the government through its statements and through its actions with
regard to the production, importation, and trading of this strategic commodity.