AJAD Volume 22 Issue No. 1 June 2025

The role of rice in Asia has evolved but remains central to pro-poor growth and food security. This article offers reflections based on decades of engagement with the region’s rice economy, organized around six interlinked themes: rice research, rural infrastructure, structural transformation, price stabilization, social safety nets, and financial markets. While private actors now lead in many areas—particularly in marketing and supply chains—public roles remain critical in setting policy directions, investing in long-term research, and ensuring equity. The interaction between public and private sectors is shaping a new foundation for Asia’s rice economy—one that demands coordination, adaptability, and political skill. Rice may no longer define the region’s overall economy, but its significance for the poor, for nutrition, and for political stability remains strong. Strengthening this foundation will depend on how effectively both public and private roles are aligned to support inclusive, resilient growth.

Dr. Roehlano Briones (Philippine Institute for Development Studies [PIDS] and Brain Trust Inc.), a thought leader in rice policy, appreciates the depth and clarity of Dawe and Timmer’s insights in his commentary. Nonetheless, he calls for a fuller exploration of critical themes such as value-adding structural transformation, the true nature of price stabilization mechanisms, and the looming challenges of climate change and resource scarcity. Dr. Briones suggests that these issues merit more explicit attention to better guide future policy and industry adaptation in Asia’s rapidly evolving rice sector.

Seasoned rice policy practitioner Dr. Larry C.Y. Wong, co-Founder of Myanmar Praxis Pte Ltd and Lannew Resources Sdn Bhd, also commends the authors for their clear and candid reflections on Asia’s evolving rice economy, emphasizing the need to shift from a production-centric to a more holistic, demand-driven approach that integrates technology, trade, and policy innovations. Highlighting examples from Malaysia and Myanmar, Dr. Wong urges deeper exploration of private sector roles, countertrade, and border trade in shaping the future of rice in Asia amid rapid changes in digital technologies and geopolitical dynamics.

Dawe and Timmer responded to the insightful critiques by Briones and Wong, who each highlight important but distinct perspectives: Briones urges deeper analysis of structural transformation, price stabilization, and climate challenges, while Wong emphasizes practical insights from private sector innovations and evolving trade realities. Acknowledging the value of both views, the authors focus their reply on specific points raised and express strong support for a proposed regional research initiative on the future of rice in Asia.

This study evaluates mechanization practices in small-scale paddy farming in the Mekong River Delta, following several years of government policies and programs promoting mechanization. Primary data was collected from 1,170 farming households in Hau Giang, Kien Giang, An Giang, and Dong Thap provinces. The mechanization status was assessed based on four key criteria, and mechanization levels were quantified using a cost-based Mechanization Index (MI). The results show high mechanization rates (over 90%) in land preparation, irrigation, fertilization, and harvesting; however, adoption rates were lower in transplanting or sowing (41.2%) and transportation (15.7%). Furthermore, machinery investment has stagnated since 2016, reflecting limited farmer interest in acquiring additional equipment. Advanced mechanization techniques remain experimental as traditional labor-intensive methods continue to dominate farming practices. The calculated MI indicated that 64 percent of households fall into a very low mechanization category. These findings reveal significant limitations of current agricultural policies and underline the need for multidisciplinary and systematic interventions, particularly through the development of self-propelled spreaders, drone sprayers, enhanced linkages between combine harvesters and transportation vehicles, and training on skilled agricultural labor.

This study examined the impact of Chinese foreign direct investment (CFDI) on the annual growth rate (AGR) of agricultural value added in Africa and analyzed the correlation between AGR and employment in the agriculture sector (EIA) from 2003 to 2021. The study employed annual panel data from 15 African countries obtained from authoritative databases such as the World Development Indicators. To guarantee the dependability of the results, the research carried out several preparatory tests, such as crosssectional 
dependency, unit root, and cointegration tests. The tests validated that the variables satisfied the requisite criteria for utilizing panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) estimation techniques, such as mean group (MG), pooled MG (PMG), and dynamic fixed effect (DFE). The Hausman test validated the PMG model as the most appropriate for the estimations among the various techniques. The empirical results obtained using the PMG model provided fascinating insights. Evidence demonstrated that CFDI inflows had a favorable and statistically significant impact on the growth rate of agricultural value added in Africa. These findings suggest that Chinese investments have a positive impact on the agriculture sector in Africa. As the economy expands, it creates a favorable atmosphere for the agriculture sector to flourish. Moreover, the presence of EIA is vital in improving Africa’s agricultural growth rate. Based on these discoveries, policymakers can create a supportive atmosphere for the long-term and comprehensive growth of agriculture in Africa. The study’s findings have significant consequences for academic research, educational discourse, and socioeconomic legislation.

Understanding digital transformation among farmers is a critical factor influencing the successful adoption of digital technologies in agriculture. This study investigated the determinants of farmers’ understanding of digital transformation in agriculture, based on a structured survey of 230 farming households in Vietnam’s Red River Delta. A 35-item questionnaire was used to assess digital awareness, yielding an average score of 15.8 out of 35. Using cluster analysis, we categorized the farmers into those with high and low understanding levels. The results of a logit model analysis indicate that educational attainment, farm types, proficiency in using the internet, participation in digital transformation training courses, visiting pilot models, and land size are the factors affecting the understanding level of the farmers. These imply that the Vietnamese government should increase the number of training programs on using the internet and digital transformation skills for farmers, develop pilot models, and encourage farmers to visit and learn from the models. The government’s support on digital transformation should focus on large-scale farms first, then on medium- and small-scale farms. These recommendations aim to support effective digital transformation and foster sustainable agricultural development in Vietnam.

With its ideal agro-climatic conditions in the “cacao belt,” the Philippines has high productivity potential for cacao. However, the country struggles to meet rising domestic and international demands with its low productivity due to pests, soil infertility, and inadequate farmer knowledge. The Davao region is the country’s top cacao producer, but some of its areas still experience low productivity. Hence, it is critical to understand the region’s production capacities and probe the underlying factors behind this. Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), the technical efficiency (TE) of cacao farmers from Davao de Oro was estimated. Tobit regression was used to analyze factors affecting TE. Findings suggest that education, farm experience, and income from cacao improve efficiency; while age, pod sleeving, number of coconut crops intercropped, subsidies, extension services, and total household income negatively impact it. This study recommends enhancing collaboration among the government, public, and private sectors to address these challenges, focusing on infrastructure, market linkage, and technical training. Formal education must also be promoted. Cacao farm rehabilitation and continuous research are also crucial in reducing risks of pest and disease infestations and further promote efficiency. Lastly, regular monitoring and assessment of these strategies are essential to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the industry.

Natural hazards pose insurmountable challenges to sustainable human development because they shake the structure of social systems and the built environment. Contemporary studies in the “hard” sciences, commonly known as the scientific-technical or technocratic perspectives, have dominated the disaster risk literature, which posit that risk is quantifiable and objective. Contrary to existing literature, risk is not a neutral concept. Disasters are socially and culturally constructed and perceived by different people differently. This paper highlights the value of integrating different social actors’ socio-cultural constructions in disaster risk communication. To explore the characteristics of the riverine community, the communication channels and strategies for disaster risk communication, and the community’s constructions of risk, this study employed purposeful sampling from 38 research participants using focus group discussions and key informant interviews to gather data. While information from media and early warning signals are important sources of disaster information, the community heavily relies on local forecasting as a metric for disaster risk. For a community that depends heavily on agriculture for livelihood, being aware of and acknowledging risk is the first step to preventing disasters. In sum, disaster risk communication must consider the underlying sociocultural factors influencing the community’s construction of risk.