What this lesson teaches
I can judge how much Southeast Asian economies changed after independence, sector by sector.
Syllabus 9174, Paper 2, Theme II, Learning Outcomes. evaluate the extent of economic change in different contexts and over time
Make a guess
New high-yielding rice seeds spread across Southeast Asia from 1966. What do you think happened to rice output?
- It fell, as farmers left their land for factories.
- It stayed flat, since the new seeds failed in tropical soil.
- It rose sharply, though the gains were uneven.
Show the answer
It rose sharply, though the gains were uneven.
With irrigation and fertiliser, yields could double. Indonesia became self-sufficient in rice by 1984, but the Philippines did not stay so.
New seeds, irrigation and fertiliser raised farm output sharply. Yet farming remained the main source of work for many people, and the gains were uneven.
The "Green Revolution" brought high-yielding rice varieties, such as IR8, released in 1966 by the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. With irrigation and fertiliser, they could double yields.
Indonesia spread new seeds and fertiliser through government programmes and became self-sufficient in rice by 1984. The Philippines also raised rice output but did not stay self-sufficient.
Malaysia opened new land for smallholders through the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA), set up in 1956. It also moved from rubber towards oil palm and became a leading palm oil producer.
Thailand expanded and diversified farming, growing more cassava, maize and sugar for export. Vietnam's collective farms produced little until reforms in 1986-1988 let households control their output. By 1989 Vietnam was a major rice exporter.
Continuities remained. In 1990 most Thai workers and about half of Indonesian workers were still in farming. Richer farmers gained most from new inputs, and many rural families stayed poor.
- IR8
- 1966, International Rice Research Institute.
- FELDA
- Malaysia, 1956.
- Indonesia
- Rice self-sufficiency by 1984.
Worked example: Judging agricultural change
How far did agriculture change?
- Change: higher yields and new crops.
- Change: rice self-sufficiency for Indonesia.
- Continuity: farming still a main employer in Thailand and Indonesia.
- Limit: uneven gains for poor farmers.
Watch out for this
Agriculture became unimportant as economies industrialised.
Its share of output fell, but farming still employed a large share of workers in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines in 2000.
Check your understanding
What helped Indonesia become self-sufficient in rice by 1984?
- Giving up rice farming for rubber and palm oil
- High-yield seeds, fertiliser and irrigation spread by government programmes
- Importing cheap rice from Thailand and storing it
Show the answer
High-yield seeds, fertiliser and irrigation spread by government programmes
Right. It was a Green Revolution success.