著者

石川 晃士

出版者

京都大学東南アジア研究所

雑誌

Kyoto Working Papers on Area Studies: G-COE Series

巻号頁・発行日

vol.12, pp.1-29, 2008-12

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Cambodia is largely an agrarian society; rice crops are the backbone of Cambodian agriculture. For most of these farmers, rice is their major source of income and sustenance and thus rice plays an integral part in the economy of rural Cambodia. However, Cambodia's history and structure of industry has helped define rice-based agricultural sectors in which poor populations have traditionally engaged and earned a livelihood. This is particularly so with the low production of rice and is characterized by low income. Although Cambodia has achieved an overall self-sufficiency since 1995, rice productivity in Cambodia is still the lowest among countries in Asia, which derives from a number of factors such as low input investment in rice production and farmers' limited financial sources. In addition, another problem within the industry is the rice processing and distribution sector faces many related obstacles such as a lack of working capital, low milling technology, a poor infrastructure, and a fragmented distribution system. The agricultural sector is where the poor are employed and earn a living in Cambodia. It would follow that increasing productivity and trade returns on rice produce in this sector will be important for improving the livelihood of the poor. Therefore, the challenge for Cambodian rural development is to grasp the present situation and prioritize the constrains to increase productivity and generate improvements within the rice industry, and develop the strategies to overcome the existing obstacles. This paper describes the linkage between each of the factors along the rice value chain, from input suppliers for rice production, to the final milled products and all the associated by-products and value added from products derived from rice. While providing the characteristics along each level of the chain, the analysis identifies the key constrains and linkage at each level of the chain