New seeds, irrigation and fertiliser raised farm output sharply. Yet farming remained the main source of work for many people, and the gains were uneven.
The "Green Revolution" brought high-yielding rice varieties, such as IR8, released in 1966 by the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. With irrigation and fertiliser, they could double yields.
Indonesia spread new seeds and fertiliser through government programmes and became self-sufficient in rice by 1984. The Philippines also raised rice output but did not stay self-sufficient.
Malaysia opened new land for smallholders through the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA), set up in 1956. It also moved from rubber towards oil palm and became a leading palm oil producer.
Thailand expanded and diversified farming, growing more cassava, maize and sugar for export. Vietnam's collective farms produced little until reforms in 1986-1988 let households control their output. By 1989 Vietnam was a major rice exporter.
Continuities remained. In 1990 most Thai workers and about half of Indonesian workers were still in farming. Richer farmers gained most from new inputs, and many rural families stayed poor.
- IR8
- 1966, International Rice Research Institute.
- FELDA
- Malaysia, 1956.
- Indonesia
- Rice self-sufficiency by 1984.
Worked example: Judging agricultural change
How far did agriculture change?
- Change: higher yields and new crops.
- Change: rice self-sufficiency for Indonesia.
- Continuity: farming still a main employer in Thailand and Indonesia.
- Limit: uneven gains for poor farmers.
Watch out for this
Agriculture became unimportant as economies industrialised.
Its share of output fell, but farming still employed a large share of workers in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines in 2000.
Check your understanding
What helped Indonesia become self-sufficient in rice by 1984?
- High-yielding seeds, fertiliser and irrigation spread by government programmes
- Importing all its rice
- Giving up rice farming