Asian Farmers Fight for Survival and Control of the Rice Industry
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What is the situation of rice production in Southeast Asia?
Rice is a very important commodity in our lives, as it is the staple food of about 3 billion, or three quarters, of the people in the world. Two hundred fifty million farmers depend on rice cultivation. Ninety percent of the world’s rice is produced and consumed in Asia. Rice farming is thus an important part of the culture, spirituality, and survival of people in Asia.
Rice has political, economic and social significance in Southeast Asia (SEA) subregion, which includes eight agricultural countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar/Burma, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It is the most important crop grown in this sub-region, producing 150 million tons of paddy annually. (IRRI:2001).
Rice production in the eight SEA countries is associated with irrigation, the use of modern varieties, and inputs of fertilizer nutrients. Expansion in any of these production inputs rationalizes the increase in rice production. The greatest level of productivity is in irrigated rice where more than one crop is grown annually and yields are high, followed by rainfed rice. The largest irrigated rice area is in Indonesia, followed by Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand. Rainfed systems, which have lower yield potentials, are dominant in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar/Burma, and Thailand.
Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar have large rice lands under flood-prone areas; relatively smaller areas are also found in Thailand and Indonesia.
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