Research Findings: I Rice
in Asia and the global food supply
Rice is the main staple food in Asia, where about 90% of the world's
rice is produced and consumed.
China continues to be
the world's biggest producer, growing one-third of Asia's total on 29
million ha (Table 1). India produces nearly a quarter on 43 million ha. Other top
rice-producing countries in Asia include Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam,
Thailand, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Japan. Average yields in these
countries range from 2.6 t ha-1 to 6.5 t ha-1.
|
Country or Area |
Production
(Mio t) |
Area harvested
(Mio ha) |
Yield
(t ha-1) |
|
China |
179.0 |
28.7 |
6.2 |
|
India |
129.2 |
42.8 |
3.0 |
|
Indonesia |
52.4 |
11.7 |
4.5 |
|
Bangladesh
|
38.5 |
10.9 |
3.5 |
|
Vietnam |
34.2 |
7.5 |
4.6 |
|
Thailand |
26.1 |
9.9 |
2.6 |
|
Myanmar |
22.7 |
6.2 |
3.6 |
|
Philippines
|
13.6 |
4.1 |
3.3 |
|
Japan |
11.0 |
1.7 |
6.5 |
|
Other Asian countries |
35.8 |
10.9 |
3.3 |
|
Asia |
542.5 |
134.4 |
4.0 |
|
World |
597.8 |
151.0 |
4.0 |
|
Table 1.
Average annual rice production, area harvested, and yield in
selected Asian countries, 2000-2005 (FAO 2006). |
Worldwide, around 79 million ha of rice is grown under irrigated
conditions. While this is only half of the total rice area, it accounts
for about 75% of the world's annual rice production. In Asia, nearly 60%
of the 130 million hectares devoted to rice production annually is
irrigated, where rice is often grown in monoculture with two to three
crops a year depending upon water availability (Huke and Huke, 1997).
Other rice ecosystems include the rainfed lowland (35% of total rice
area), characterized by a lack of water control, with floods and drought
being potential problems, and the upland and deepwater ecosystems (5% of
total rice area), where yields are low and extremely variable.
Thailand has maintained
its position as the world's major rice trader, exporting an average of 8
million tons of rice annually (Fig 1). Vietnam and India export a total of 7 million tons. A positive
trade balance for rice has been maintained by Asia, Australia and the
United States. Latin America, Africa, and Europe, however, continue to
be net importers of rice.
|
 |
|
Fig. 1. Global rice
trade. Data are the average of five years in 2000 to 2004 (FAO
2006). |
The demand for rice is expected to grow for many years to come
largely because of population growth, particularly in Asia, where
population is expected to increase 35% by 2025 (United Nations 1999). An
increase in total rice production may come from an increase in the area
planted, increased yields, and increased cropping intensity. However,
the scope for expansion of rice-growing areas is limited because of loss
of agricultural land to urbanization, land conversion, and
industrialization. Therefore, future increase in rice supply must come
from increased yields and intensified cropping, particularly in the
irrigated rice  ecosystem.
There is substantial scope to increase current rice
yields as farmers in Asia, on average, achieve only about 60% of the
yield potentially achievable with existing varieties and climatic
conditions. The main limitation to achieving higher yields and
associated higher profitability for rice farmers per unit of arable land
is often the ineffective use of inputs (particularly nutrients, seed,
and pesticide) in an environmentally sustainable fashion. If the demand
for food is to be met, rice production will need to become more
efficient in the use of increasingly scarce natural resources. Better
crop, nutrient, pest, and water management practices, along with the use
of germplasm with a higher yield potential, are required in order for
rice production to be profitable for producers and to supply sufficient
affordable staple food for consumer.
References
FAO. 2006. FAOSTAT agriculture data [online]. In:
www.fao.org. Available at
http://faostat.fao.org (last update 2006; accessed 18 May 2006).
Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Huke, R.E. and E.H. Huke. 1997. Rice area by type of culture: South,
Southeast, and East Asia, a revised and updated data base. Los Baņos,
Laguna: International Rice Research Institute. p 1-59.
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