DESPERATE PROSPECT FACES ASIAN PEOPLE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25445, 17 March 1948, Page 4

DESPERATE PROSPECT FACES ASIAN PEOPLE

RICE SHORTAGE

[By a Special Correspondent in the “Sydney Morning Herald.’’] (Published by Arrangement)

War *and unrest throughout Asia have caused a serious reduction in the growing of that vital staple food pro.duct, rice. As a result, Asia is becoming steadily hungrier, and there is widespread evidence of malnutrition.

In the political and social disorders which agitate Asia, from India to Korea, there is no worse factor than want of rice.

Before the war the three great riceproducing countries, Burma, Siam, and Indo-China, together exported annually 5,672,000 tons of the cereal. But the International Emergency Food Council (which allocates the available rice among the necessitous countries) expects from these three only 1,060,000 tons for the first six months of 1948. Even with what the United States, Egypt, Brazil, and one or two lesser producers can contribute, the council does not expect more than 1,449,000 tons —less than half the normal need of importing countries. The outlook is made yet darker by the growth of Asiatic populations oy between five and six millions every year. If, by some magic stroke, the production of rice could be raised at once to pre-war levels, it. would still be far short of the actual need. The average Asiatic male eats—or would like to eat—from 12 to 16 ounces of rice a day. That represents frdm 1200 to 1600 calories. Ration in Malaya In Malaya, the ration, since last May, has been four ounces and a half for a man, three ounces for a woman, and two ounces for a child—only 450, 300, and 200 calories respectively. Elack-market rice smuggled in huge quantities from Siam can be bought, but only at prices far beyond the reach of the average Malay, Indian, or Chinese.

The Government is trying to induce the people to grow and eat vegetables and imported cereals, but these are not popular and have nothing like the calorific value of rice. • The Government of India (Hindustan) last year introduced a rice ration of 6oz a day, but it is doubtful whether this can be maintained.

The communal strife in the Punjab last year, when at least 3,000,000 Hindus, Sikhs, and Moslems fled eastward or westward across the dividing

line, leaving their fields untended, did untold harm to food production. Formerly grain was imported from Sind (now in Pakistan). But th® transport system, with much of India’s economy, has broken down since the partition of the sub-continent, and for the present that supply is cut off.

Yields Drop Heavily A recent survey of some of the richest lands in West Java showed that the former annual yield of about 15961 b of rice an acre had dropped to 6651 b. In Siam, widespread banditry and the smuggling already mentioned resulted in only 232,000 tons, of a promised 375,000 tons, being forthcoming last year. And before the war Siam's annual export was 1,500,000 tons. This year Siam expects to produce 500,000 tons because the Government has realised that the rice smugglers are depriving it of much-needed foreign exchange and is trying to suppress them. Burma, too, has had a fine harvest and may improve on her promised export this year of 1,600,000 tons. But before the war her annual export was 3,500,000. Indo-China is the worst defaulter. Guerrilla warfare still rages across the rice lands of Cochin-China, with no apparent prospect of its ceasing. Cochin-China’s former annual rice export was 1,300,000 tons. This year it may be 20,000 tons. Suffering In China In China the evils of civil war are aggravated by the collapse of the dollar, now more than 400,000 to the £. Farmers, away from the fighting area, raise their prices accordingly or grow for themselves, but the suffering of the townspeople, especially the salaried classes, is acute. A recent report by the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, set up by United Nations, dwelt upon the “malnutrition, susceptibility to disease, high mortality and low expectation of life” that was found everywhere. The Malayan Government is making great efforts to increase rice production with fertilisers, improved seed, and irrigation, and hopes eventually to be self-supporting. Siam is planning an irrigation scheme intended to double her production. But these and other plans must take anything from five to seven years to fulfil. Meanwhile, Europe’s hunger is negligible compared with Asia’s.