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What do you think is the role of the government in affecting food production and supply? Watch the video of the interview with a farmer in Vietnam and answer the following:
• What are some of the difficulties that the farmer faces in increasing food production?
• Has the government been helpful in meeting some of the needs of the farmer?
• In what other ways do you think the government can help the farmer increase food production?
• Do you think the government plays an important role in influencing food production and supply?
Government policy - Agricultural policy
Refers to policy pertaining to domestic agriculture
Aims to ensure a stable supply of agricultural production, price stability, product quality or employment in the agricultural industry
· Farmer development and education
o In India, the Punjab Agriculture Department responded in 2012 to the need to ensure greater productivity from its farmland
o This was achieved by beginning an education programme for its wheat farmers
o Under this programme, the farmers were taught about the best available seed varieties, pesticide treatment and irrigation methods, thus helping to increase the intensity of food production
· Pricing policy
o Price controls encourage more production by setting a minimum price or less production by setting a maximum price
o For example, the Acreage Reduction policy introduced in Japan aimed to keep the price of rice high by reducing its supply, thus reducing the intensity of food producing.
Political – Food policy
Refers to policy pertaining to how food is produced, processed, distributed and purchased.
Also involves health and safety and food labelling.
Food stockpiling involves the storage of food for anticipated shortage.
The government will buy food from world markets several years in advance
Thus the demand for stockpiling could help to increase the intensity of food production
Diversifying the source of food supply to buffer against food shortage and price fluctuation by over-relying on a few countries.
More food suppliers are sourced instead of relying on a few countries for food supply
Thus more demand from other food producing countries could help to increase the intensity of food production
For example, Singapore has bought vegetables from China and USA instead of mainly from Malaysia
Regional Agreement - ASEAN
In Oct 2011, ASEAN signed an agreement with China, Japan and South Korea. During times of disaster, rice reserves from the big rice producers will be used to supply rice to countries that have signed the agreement.
The ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) is a commitment from the big rice producers to supply food for a reserve, used in times of disaster
For example, China agreed to contribute 300,000 tonnes of rice while Thailand agreed to contribute 15,000 tonnes of rice, thus this agreement helps to increase the intensity of food production
Thailand started a programme in 2012 for other ASEAN nations to intensify rice production in the region. Thailand worked with neighbouring countries such as Cambodia to increase their efficiency in rice production and increase the intensity of food production.
South Korea contributed rice to flood affected Myanmar in 2018
National stockpiles in Singapore
https://thekopi.co/2020/02/11/national-stockpiles-explained/
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