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Productivity and Comparative Advantage in Rice Agriculture in South‐East Asia Since 1870

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  • Pierre Van Der Eng

Abstract

Rice long dominated the agricultural economies of South‐East Asia. Given the economic predominance of agriculture, the development of rice production had a significant bearing on the economies in the region. This article explains why the countries of mainland South‐East Asia long dominated the international rice market. It quantifies labor productivity in rice production and argues that simple, low‐cost and labor‐extensive, but low‐yielding production technology allowed farmers in mainland South‐East Asia to achieve significantly higher levels of labor product‐ivity than in the more densely populated rice‐producing areas in South‐East Asia and Japan. High levels of labor productivity were a major source of comparative advantage in rice production for Burma, Thailand and Southern Vietnam.

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  • Pierre Van Der Eng, 2004. "Productivity and Comparative Advantage in Rice Agriculture in South‐East Asia Since 1870," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 18(4), pages 345-370, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:asiaec:v:18:y:2004:i:4:p:345-370
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8381.2004.00196.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Pim Zwart, 2022. "Inequality in late colonial Indonesia: new evidence on regional differences," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 16(1), pages 175-211, January.
    2. Bassino, Jean-Pascal & van der Eng, Pierre, 2019. "Japan and the Asian Divergence: Market Integration, Climate Anomalies and Famines during the 18th and 19th Centuries," CEI Working Paper Series 2018-18, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    3. Pierre van der Eng, 2014. "International food aid to Indonesia, 1950s-1970s," Departmental Working Papers 2014-19, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    4. van der Eng, Pierre, 2008. "Food Supply in Java during War and Decolonisation, 1940-1950," MPRA Paper 8852, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. BASSINO, Jean-Pascal & van der ENG, Pierre, 2016. "Asia's 'Little Divergence' in the 20th Century: Evidence from PPP-based direct estimates of GDP per capita, 1913-1969," Discussion paper series HIAS-E-28, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University.
    6. Richard T. Yao & Gerald E. Shively, 2007. "Technical Change and Productive Efficiency: Irrigated Rice in the Philippines," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 21(2), pages 155-168, June.
    7. Gregg Huff & Gillian Huff, 2015. "Urban growth and change in 1940s Southeast Asia," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 68(2), pages 522-547, May.
    8. Williamson, Jeffrey G., 2017. "Philippine Inequality across the Twentieth Century: Slim Evidence but Fat Questions," CEPR Discussion Papers 12481, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

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