The Evolution of Rice Farming in the Lower Mekong Basin

Abstract

In the 1970s, small-scale, labour-intensive, low-yield, semi-subsistence rice farming predominated in the Lower Mekong Basin. Rural poverty and the threat of famine were rife. In the 40 years since, rice farming in the Basin has undergone a dramatic transformation. This can be characterised as “commercialisation”, meaning the opening up of semi-subsistence rice farming to domestic and international input and output markets and the corresponding adaptation of farmers to the associated opportunities and risks. This book is about understanding the processes involved in this transformation and the commercial opportunities and challenges of rice-based farming systems in the Lower Mekong in the 2010s, with a view to outlining prospects for the 2020s. The motivation for the research was to: (a) compare the current situation and trajectories of rice farmers within and between different regions of the Lower Mekong, (b) explore the value chains linking rice farmers with input and output markets within and across national borders, and (c) understand the changing role of government policies in facilitating the on-going evolution of commercial rice farming. This chapter sets the scene for the country studies that follow.

Socio-hydrologic modeling of the dynamics of cooperation in the transboundary Lancang–Mekong River

“…The simulated agriculture benefit in 2018 is around USD 3600 million with irrigation withdrawals of 39 billion m 3 , while the statistical irrigation withdrawal of the three countries is 47 billion m 3 (FAO, 2019). The simulated agriculture benefits of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are USD 1263, 593 and 1728 million respectively, which are consistent with the statistical values for irrigated rice in Table 4, i.e., USD 1314, 592 and 2727 million (Cramb, 2020;MRC, 2018).…”

Societal Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Asian Rural Societies: A Multi-Sectoral Social Capital Approach in Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan

“…The lack of government support for agriculture resulted in inefficient farming practices and a lack of agricultural diversification. Roughly 45% of all farmland in Thailand is used for rice cultivation [29] (p. 1), [30] (p. 9), much of it for household consumption; in the northeastern region, for instance, almost half of the rice output is consumed by the farming households themselves [31] (p. 42). The continuing importance of the subsistence sector for farmers explains why many of them are directly affected by deforestation: Non-timber forest products provide an additional source of food and income for five million people.…”

Socio-Hydrologic Modeling of the Dynamics of Cooperation in the Transboundary Lancang-Mekong River

“…The simulated agriculture benefits of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are 1,355, 595 and 2,011 million USD respectively, which are consistent with the statistical values for irrigated rice in Table 4, i.e., 1,314, 592 and 2,727 million USD. Statistical values for irrigated rice are calculated by the irrigation areas (Cramb, 2020), irrigated rice production per unit area and rice price (MRC, 2018).…”