Keijiro Otsuka

Modern rice technology and income distribution in Asia

Studies seven Asian countries, with diverse production environments and agrarian and policy structures, to determine to what extent the adoption of modern rice varieties (MVs) only in the irrigated and the favourable rain-fed lowland areas has exacerbated inequalities in income distribution.

Increasing rice production in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and opportunities

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces multiple problems. The main one is improving the lives of the 30% of its population that suffers from extreme poverty and food insecurity. As more than 70% of the population lives off farming and related activities, agricultural development will have to play a major role in improving this situation. Fortunately, Africa has an abundant supply of natural resources that can support a huge expansion in food, specifically rice production. Because of strong demand, rice area expansion in SSA is larger than for any other crop. Total milled rice production increased from 2.2 million Mg in 1961 to 9.1 million Mg in 2004. Rice imports into SSA also increased from 0.5 million Mg of milled rice in 1961 to 6.0 million Mg in 2003 and SSA currently accounts for 25% of global rice imports, at a cost of more than US

Women’s Land Rights in the Transition to Individualized Ownership: Implications for Tree‐Resource Management in Western Ghana*

1.5 billion per year. Therefore, many African governments accord high priority to developing their local rice sector as an important component of national food security, economic growth, and poverty alleviation. The abundant supply of agroclimatically suitable wetlands (~239 million ha) and water resources can support a large expansion in rice area and productivity. Currently, less than 5% of the potentially suitable wetlands are planted with rice because of various constraints. Expansion and intensification of rice cultivation in SSA will not compete with other crops in terms of land and water resources because, during the rainy season, only rice can be grown on low-lying wetlands, including inland valleys. In addition, the labor-intensive nature of rice cultivation will provide additional sources of work and income to the rural poor, especially women. Should labor shortages become acute, however, appropriate mechanization can be considered. Small farmers want to earn money from rice farming, but lack modern inputs and capital to fully exploit their rice lands as these items are limited or not available. This is where an innovative public–private partnership is desirable to support the intensification of rice farming. Rice is cultivated in four ecosystems of SSA: dryland (38% of the cultivated rice area), rainfed wetland (33%), deepwater and mangrove swamps (9%), and irrigated wetland (20%). Many abiotic stresses (drought, flood, and variable rainfall; extreme temperatures; salinity; acidity/alkalinity and poor soils, soil erosion, and high P fixation) and biotic constraints [weeds, blast, Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV), and African rice gall midge (AfRGM)] limit rice production on the continent. The changing climate is expected to further aggravate the abiotic constraints and reduce rice yields in all ecosystems. Rice production is also restricted by many technical, management, socioeconomic, health, and policy constraints. The constraints to irrigated wetland rice in the Sahel of SSA are similar to those faced by Asian farmers in the 1960s; therefore, well-tested irrigated rice technologies from Asia and elsewhere are being introduced and adapted to local conditions to obtain fast returns on investment. For rice in irrigated wetlands in the humid and moist savanna zones, rainfed wetlands, and drylands, locally developed NERICA (new rice for Africa) varieties and production technologies are being tested in target environments. The progenies of Oryza glaberrima and O. sativa subspecies indica are better adapted to rainfed and irrigated wetlands, while those of O. glaberrima and O. sativa subspecies japonica are more suited to rainfed drylands. In addition, research is ongoing to tackle SSA-specific problems such as RYMV and AfRGM and to develop efficient crop management technologies. Currently available best management practices (integrated crop management options) for different rice ecosystems are shown in Table XV. Additional support through the provision of technical advice through revamped national RD a supply of good-quality seed and other inputs, including farm credit; and enabling policy are needed for profitable and sustainable intensification of rice cultivation in SSA. It is also critical to organize preventive health measures for farmers against wetland-related diseases (malaria, bilharzia, and so on), protect certain natural wetlands (e.g., with bird sanctuaries), preserve mangrove forests in strategic coastal belts and rich peats in inlands, and use chemical inputs efficiently to minimize pollution and maintain environmental quality while intensifying rice production. Anticipatory research is needed to tackle the impacts of changing climate on rice farming and the environment. Modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be exploited to reach out to farmers in remote areas and to deploy technologies effectively. In addition, the development of innovative private–public partnerships and the organization of farmers into user-groups will enhance the training, farmer education, and technology adoption required for intensive commercial rice farming.

Population Pressure, Land Tenure, and Tree Resource Management in Uganda

This study explores the impact of evolutionary changes in land-tenure institutions on womens land rights and the efficiency of tree-resource management in western Ghana where cocoa is the dominant crop. Under matrilineal traditions land is transferred from a dead man to his brother or nephew (sisters son) in accordance with the decision of the extended family or matrilineal clan. Recently husbands have increasingly been transferring land to their wives and children as a gift during their own lifetime. The author’s hypothesis is that the incidence of gifts increases in areas where matrilineal inheritance is practiced in order to strengthen individual land rights. Using household-level data on land acquisition and field data on cocoa-tree planting and yields from 60 Akan villages the authors test that hypothesis. Their findings suggest that gift transactions usually in return for labor on a husband’s cocoa plot are the most important mode of land acquisition for women. Legal reform as illustrated by the Intestate Succession Law of 1985 also provide women with the means of obtaining access to their husband’s land.

Land Tenure Systems and Their Impacts on Agricultural Investments and Productivity in Uganda

This study uses aerial photographs and survey data from sixty four parishes in east-central Uganda to identify the factors affecting conversion of woodlands and traditional grazing areas to agriculture. Regression analysis shows that customary land tenure institutions, greater population pressure and poor access to markets are significant causes of land conversion to agriculture, and hence to loss of trees. Private ownership of converted land promotes greater integration of trees and crops and leads to the highest density of trees on agricultural land. Given that continuing population growth will lead to further land conversion to agriculture, the best prospect for maintaining or increasing tree populations lies with agroforestry on cultivated land.

Determinants and consequences of land reform implementation in the Philippines

This article provides an empirical analysis of the impact of different tenure systems (mailo, customary, and public land) on agricultural investment and productivity in central Uganda. A major hypothesis tested is that land investments and practices may have both economic and tenure security implications. The results indicate that coffee planting is used by farmers to enhance tenure security, while fallowing is practised to a greater extent by farmers on more secure holdings. This supports the notion that farmers consider tenure implications when making investments and that different tenure systems do not inhibit the promotion of tree-planting investment. Tenure had no impact on the productivity of crop farming.

Process of Cluster Formation in China: A Case Study of a Garment Town

Abstract Unlike the experience of other developing countries, land reform in the Philippines has been successful in converting many of share tenants to land reform beneficiaries. This study indicates that the implementation of land reform is positively associated with yield growth made possible by the adoption of modern seed-fertilizer technology. A major reason underlying such association is considered to be an increased economic interest of tenants in land reform arising from divergence of rental value of land from leasehold rent and amortization fees prescribed by law.

Efficiency and Equity Effects of Land Markets

In China industrial clusters consisting of small and medium enterprises have been proliferating in areas where private sectors have successfully developed. This study inquires into the process of forming a new industrial cluster and the roles of local and distant urban traders in the garment industry in China. We found that the local marketplace, where enterprise managers can easily purchase materials from and sell products to local traders, plays a critical role in stimulating the entry of new enterprises in the early stage of cluster development. As a cluster develops, however, entrepreneurial ability in producing high-quality products and marketing them to urban traders plays a more significant role.

The Determinants of Credit Access and Its Impacts on Micro and Small Enterprises: The Case of Garment Producers in Kenya

It is widely believed that land markets, including both land sales and tenancy markets, are neither efficient nor conducive to social equity. It is often argued that tenants, particularly share tenants, do not have proper incentives to work and invest, partly because of the disincentive effects of output sharing and partly because of the tenure insecurity. It is also widely accepted that land sales transactions tend to exacerbate the social equity and rural poverty by facilitating the concentration of land ownership by hands of a few wealthy landlords. Based on these presumptions, land reform programs have been implemented in a number of developing countries. This article critically reviews these presumptions both theoretically and empirically. Firstly, we identify why land tenancy transaction is more common than land sales transactions and why share tenancy is more common than leasehold tenancy. Secondly, we critically review the theories of share tenancy, tenure security, and adjustment costs of farm size. Thirdly, we empirically review the efficiency and equity effects of land markets as well as the impacts of conventional land reform programs. It has become clear from the literature review that land reform polices have generally failed to improve land use efficiency and social equity. It is also found that tenancy contracts, including share tenancy, are generally efficient and conducive to social justice. In conclusion, we propose to encourage tenancy transactions, in general, and share tenancy, in particular.

Land Inheritance and Schooling in Matrilineal Societies: Evidence from Sumatra

There are diverse sources of credit for micro and small manufacturing enterprises (MSEs) in developing countries, ranging from relatives and friends, rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs), micro finance institutions, and commercial banks. Using a unique set of data on MSEs in garment clusters in Nairobi, this study attempts to identify the determinants of access to different credit sources and their impacts on firm profitability and growth. The results of the regression analysis demonstrate that factors determining access to credit are often different from those affecting enterprise performance, indicating limited impacts of credit access on enterprise performance.