Shawki M. Barghouti
Published: 1990
Total Pages: 136
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As a result of the declining contribution of rice based farming in East Asia, investment in agriculture must diversify to maintain rural incomes. In the short term, countries should : 1) diversify toward crops for which there is a promising market ( fruits, vegetables, livestock products ) rather than sugar, rubber, coconuts and palm oil; and 2) expand small scale industry, marketing, and construction in rural areas. Long term needs include : a) higher yielding secondary food crops; b) better integration of livestock and crop production; c) more flexible irrigation and drainage systems; and d) improved technology to lower the cost of production. The paper concludes that the challenge to agriculture in East Asia is to sustain rice farming whicle expanding into a more flexible, diverse agriculture. The task for aid agencies will be to come up with suitable analytical skills and technical knowledge for the switch from commodity based project lending to broader sectoral support.