South-East Asia agriculture
The best soils suited for agriculture are the alluvial soils of the river valleys and deltas and the rich volcanic soils of some of the islands.
80% of the total population is rural, engaged in rice cultivation. Three agricultural systems predominate
Shifting Agriculture: It is widespread in South East Asia. It is a low yield system and the use of hand tools is characteristics, cleaning, burning, cultivating and fallowing are followed as a cycle of operation. It is an adaptive though primitive method to recreate natural conditions.
Paddy-Rice Agriculture: Except Malaysia this accounts for more than half of the agricultural area. The low-lying river valleys of fertile alluvial tracts in Burma, Thailand, Kampuchea and Vietnam are the rice-growing areas. Irrigation comprises the most sophisticated type of wet-rice cultivation and also gives the highest yield per land unit.
Commercial Agriculture: Estate or plantation agriculture in South East Asia involves the extensive use of capital and is commercialized. Because of its association with money and international trade it is a dynamic force behind modernization and economic progress. Other important cash crops include coconut, coffee, and oil plain. Cash crop accounts for about one-half of the estimated cultivated area of this region (8 million hectares).
The dominant control exerted by foreign investors, closely knit social organization of the dominant ethnic group, namely the Chinese. The native's disapproval and resentment of the Western Europe economic colonialism and exploitation and the conflict which emerged because of dual economy (rich and poor) has created political problems in the management of plantation agriculture.
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page", St. Augustine said. Here at www.travel-university.org we believe that every page must be read and explored. Travel is an avenue of learning that no text or classroom can teach. The world is a living classroom and you the student. We invite you to the www.travel-university.org library where you can read general interest and detail oriented articles.
