Rice production is the backbone for national food production in many Asian countries. At the same time there are major challenges such as an ever increasing competition for labor force with industry, small farms and field plots with little room to realize economies of scale.
With major price increases in global ag commodities markets and the prospect for increasing rice surpluses the question arises whether and at what locations other crops might become a more attractive option for growers.
Against this background, South-East Asian agri benchmark partners together with the agri benchmark Center started a Rice Initiative in order to provide insights to those challenges.
Free for download:
Concept for a South-East Asian agri benchmark Rice Network
(S. Isvilanonda, L. Nguyen, Y. Zimmer, 2.620 kb)
This workshop was organized by the Thai agri benchmark partner Somporn Isvilanonda and his team at the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand (KNIT); the financial support granted by the Thai Research Fund is highly appreciated.
Agenda agri benchmark Rice Workshop, March 19th-20th 2013
(pdf-document, 239 kb)
List of participants Rice Workshop March 19th-20th 2013
(pdf-document, 27 kb)
Background information on the Rice Initiative
(pdf-document, 47 kb)
Below please find the presentations from the first Rice Initiative Workshop free for download:
Country related presentations
Rice in Thailand: Production, consumption, export and policy
(Nipon Poapongskorn) (pdf-document, 990 kb)
Rice Production in Vietnam
(Ngoc Luan Nguyen) (pdf-document, 727 kb)
Vietnam rice trade, policy and future outlook
(Nguyen Tri Khiem) (pdf-document, 604 kb)
Challenges and future outlook of rice production in Myanmar
(Zaw Ye Tun) (pdf-document, 380 kb)
Challenges and future outlook of rice production in Myanmar
(Zaw Ye Tun) (pdf-document, 81 kb)
Rice production in Cambodia
(R. Pech) (pdf-document, 2.040 kb)
Sector related presentations
Some thoughts on production economics - FAO´s perspectives
(D. Dawe) (pdf-document, 539 kb)
The Asian rice market: Historical perspective and outlook for the future
(C.P. Timmer) (pdf-document, 1.110 kb)
IRRI´s perspectives on production economics and rice production system
(Samarendu Mohanty) (pdf-document, 1.170 kb)
GIZ - Better Rice Initiative
(M. Bickel) (pdf-document, 1.600 kb)
Partners and experts of the agri benchmark Rice Network met for a second workshop in December 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Agenda agri benchmark Rice Workshop, December 9th - 12th, 2013
(pdf-document, 50 kb)
Members of the agri benchmark Cash Crop Network have access to all presentations and inputs of the workshop 
please log in
In the course of the workshop first results of the agri benchmark Rice Network analysis were presented.
Vietnamese rice production: Diversification and mechanization are the topical issues in the South-East (Cash Crop News, 17.01.2014)