ABSTRACT
In Asia, and to an extent in Latin America and Africa, the marketing of rice has several conspicuous features. From 50 to 70 percent of the rice crop in the less developed countries of South and Southeast Asia is consumed by farm families and never reaches either local or international markets. Although some countries have established policies that not only guarantee a satisfactory minimum price to the farmer but also stabilize prices from year to year, there is great need for further improvement. The lack of well-run cooperatives or farmers' associations in many rice-deficient Asian countries also contributes to the adversity of the small farmer. With the exception of Thailand, Burma, and Pakistan, and possibly Vietnam, Laos, and Kampuchea, it is doubtful that any country in South and Southeast Asia will be a steady exporter of rice in the foreseeable future.
