China ranks No. 1 in the world in terms of rice production. The total rice planted area in 1988 was 31. 98 million hectares and accounted for 22％ in the world. The amount of rice production in the husk was 170 million tons, and accounted for 43％ of total grain product in the world.
　Rice is a main crop in China, and progress in rice production influences not only agriculture but also the economy of China. In the past ten or so years, rice production in China rapidly increased. This was caused by introduction of the Responsibility System, application of total technology to rice product, and rise of production per hectare from 1976 by increasing the hybrid rice planted ratio―from 2％ in 1976 to 40％ in 1988.
　With the improvement in the living standard of the nation, rice is consumed in all regions. It is considered that the quantity of consumption will also increase in future. Therefore, the government plan to expand the rice planted area from 1990 aims to increase it to 33 million hectares, and to produce more than 200 million tons, in the year 2000.
　Now, to improve the problem of small farm size, which was brought about by the Responsibility System, there is an experiment to contract group farming, by leasing the farmland.
　This paper discusses in detail many data concerning the tendency of rice production in recent years in China, the "big three" revolution in rice, and also addresses rice production and consumption in the future.

　米はインドネシア国民の主食であるが，歴史的に不足し輸入に依存してきた．インドネシア政府は米の増産を図るために，灌漑計画による基盤整備とビマス計画，インサス計画などを通じての技術革新を積極的に推進してきた．また，価格政策によって米価の安定，投入財価格補助を行っている．これらの増産政策の結果，とくに｢緑の革命｣による収量水準の向上の結果，1984年になってインドネシアは米の自給を達成した．しかし，その後は農業の多様化，水稲三期作の制限，灌漑開発の鈍化などのため，生産増加率が2％程度に落込み，人口増加などによる需要増大のためいっそうの米増産が必要になっている．
　米は，灌漑水田，天水田，湿地などさまざまな生態系の下で栽培されているが，生産の主体は平均収量が4t/ha以上に達する灌漑水田である．二期作が可能な灌漑水田はジャワに集中しているが，稲作は零細な家族経営によって行われている．生物･化学的技術革新によって生産力の上昇を図る一方，選択的機械化も進みつつある．
　米流通の主たる担い手は民間精米業者であるが，総供給量の約10％が食糧調達庁によって購入され，軍人・役人への現物給与，米価安定化および緊急用備蓄米に当てられている．年間の1人当り平均消費量は140kgであり，需要の所得弾性値は0.3と推定される．いっそうの増産のためには，米価水準，水田作付体系，灌漑開発などに関する政策的検討が必要である．

　This paper attempts to briefly observe and analyze the past and the present situation of the rice economy of South Korea and give future perspectives.
　1) Historically, the rice cuItivated in South Korea has been exclusively the Japonica type.
　2) During the period of 1915-1933 under Japanese colonial rule, rice production increased about 27％, while the per capita rice consumption decreased about 37％. This was brought about by the semi-feudal tenant system, which had an extremely high rate of rent reaching more than 50％ of the gross harvest.
　3) In 1949, after World War II, South Korea launched the Land Reform. It contributed very much to the boost of rice production in the 1970s and 1980s.
　4) Up until the 1960s, South Korea imported a large quantity of food grain from the United States under the PL480 programs and this brought about a stagnation of the increase of rice production.
　5) During the period of 1960-1973, the total production of rice stagnated at the level of 4 million M/T on a hulled rice basis, except for 1969. After 1975, however, new varieties of rice were extensively introduced, and the total production was raised to the level of 6 million M/T. In 1962 the yield per 10 a was only 266 kg, but it was raised to 494 kg in 1977, and in the 1980s it maintained the range of 410-440 kg. The proportion between the new varieties and the conventional ones once reached a peak of 76 : 24 in 1978, but it had reversed to 18 : 82 in 1988.
　6) The per capita consumption of rice was more than 130 kg in the 1970s and in 1980, but it has been gradually and consistently decreasing in recent years, down to nearly 120 kg.
　7) In spite of the government's consistent effort to enlarge farm size, the average paddy size still remains at the level of 0. 74 ha in 1988. In recent years, however, policy efforts are being pursued to enlarge the farm size by integrating farmland by allowing the lease of them as well as by supporting young successors to enable them to buy more land.
　8) As the rural exodus is rapidly proceeding, farm mechanization is gradually increasing. However, productivity of the rice production in Korea is not foreseen to be raised to an internationally competitive level in the near future.
　9) Since rice has been the most important staple food, the production of rice should be preserved for a considerable length of time, especially for maintaining national security in the midst of the vulnerabilities and uncertainties of the international rice markets.

　タイ経済のなかで，米は重要な役割を演じている．米はタイ人の主食であるが，また外貨を獲得する最大の輸出品目でもある．水稲作は天水田，灌漑田，深水田などで行われているが，一部の灌漑田を除き，その生産は不安定であり，しかも単収は低い．タイでは移植法の他に直播法も行われている．
　米の品種改良は1956年以来，高収量品種の開発が進み，それぞれの水田条件や地域の消費者の嗜好に適する品種の普及を図っている．改良品種の普及に伴い化学肥料や農薬の使用は増加しているが，投入水準は低い．米価に対して肥料価格が相対的に高いこと，不確実な気候や病害虫の発生による効果の低下，あるいは全般的な肥培管理技術の低さなどが原因している．
　タイの東北部，北部および南部ではいまだ役畜を利用しているが，1戸当り水田面積の広い中部平原ではトラクター，耕耘機，脱穀機，動力噴霧機，小型4輪トラックなどの普及率が高い．また，中部平原では顧客に対する脱穀サービス制が見られる．トラクタライゼーションは米の生産量を増加するとともに，大豆や野菜を雨期の稲作と乾期の稲作の間に栽培することを可能にするため，その重要性が高まっている．
　灌漑田は米作付面積の約30％で，近年あまり増えていない．　既存の灌漑田についても，乾期の水不足，排水施設の不完備，整地度の低さなどで，十分に機能を発揮していない．
　稲作の所得は，米価に比べ肥料等の経営費が相対的に高いために低い．農民は負債の返済，地代，賃金の支払いなどのため，米を収穫直後に米仲買商人や精米業者に販売する．米の中央市場は数が少なく，情報網の未整備，輸送手段の未発達などが，米流通を非効率的にしている．

　There are four basic points in dispute on rice in modern Japan : 1) the issue concerning structural over-supply of rice ; 2) the issue of reforming the Food Control System that affects distribution and price formation of rice ; 3) the issue on structural reform of rice paddy farms ; 4) international relations centering around rice, especially the issue about opening the market for foreign rice.
　The main points of the report are as follows.
　Domestic rice consumption is decreasing year by year. The annual consumption of rice per capita was 135.0 kg in 1934-1938 (average), 118.3 kg in 1962, 71.0 kg in 1988 ; the long-term prospect of the demand per capita is estimated to be 59-62 kg in the year 2000. Over-supply of rice became a subject of agricultural policy, so enforcement of rice production adjustment and conversion to other crops have been in effect since 1969.
　As a rule, rice is supposed to be under government control for demand-supply, production, and distribution in accordance with the plan. But actually, divergence of rice distribution is already seen : 1) government-controlled distribution ; 2) authorized private distribution ; and 3) free (unauthorized) distribution. Reform in the future will put an emphasis on "setting places" of price formation and some concrete plan is being examined.
　The majority of producers still have small-size farms at present. Enlarging the farm size, raising the productivity, and reducing the cost are main subjects for agricuItural administration.
　U. S. Rice Millers' Association appealed to the USTR concerning the U. S. Trade Act Article 301 twice, in September 1986 and 1988, but both appeals were rejected. Moving the stage of negotiation to GATT and the Uruguay Round, the case is being discussed. The Japanese proposal to the Agricultural negotiation group was as follows : "With regard to the basic food staple, some boundary adjustment measures to maintain necessary domestic production should be allowed in spite of GATT Article 11." The same proposal was made from the Republic of Korea.