11.2.2.1. Production Systems

Asia has the world's largest area under cereal cultivation and is the largest producer of staple foods (FAO, 1999a). Present crop yields in Asia are comparable to those in Europe and South America. Within Asia, India has the largest area under cereal cultivation. The total production of cereals in China is twice that of India, as a result of higher average productivity (FAO, 1999a). Most land that is suitable for cultivation is already in use; by 2010 per capita availability of land in developing countries of Asia will shrink from the present 0.8 ha to about 0.3 ha. Table 11-4 depicts the growth rate of rice cultivation area in select Asian countries. Current rates of land degradation suggest that a further 1.8 million km² of farmland could become unproductive in Asia by 2050, adding stress to a system that must ensure food security in the context of a rapidly growing population.

Table 11-4: Changes in area under rice cultivation in select Asian countries, 1979-1999 (FAO, 1999a).
Country	Period	Total Rice Cultivation Area (103 ha)	Change in Rice Cultivation Area (103 ha)	Rate of Change in Rice Cultivation Area (ha yr-1)
Bangladesh	1979	10,160	310	14,762
	1999	10,470
Cambodia	1979	774	1,187	56,524
	1999	1,961
China	1979	34,560	-2,840	-135,238
	1999	31,720
India	1979	39,414	3,586	170,762
	1999	43,000
Indonesia	1979	8,804	2,820	134,286
	1999	11,624
Malaysia	1979	738	-93	-4,429
	1999	645
Myanmar	1979	4,442	1,016	48,381
	1999	5,458
Nepal	1979	1,254	260	12,381
	1999	1,514
Sri Lanka	1979	790	39	1,857
	1999	829
Pakistan	1979	2,035	365	17,381
	1999	2,400
Philippines	1979	3,637	341	16,238
	1999	3,978
Thailand	Thailand	8,654	1,346	64,095
	1999	10,000
Vietnam	1979	5,485	2,163	103,000
	1999	7,648

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