Asian Agriculture

Less than one-third of Asia’s land is in agricultural use. In South, Southeast, and East Asia, agriculture is characterized by small farms in lowlands, too many people on too little land, production largely for subsistence, and a heavy dependence on cereals and other food staples.

Farming in many of southern and eastern areas is done with simple hand help tools or plows pulled by oxen. Often farmers do not own the land they work on, but rather work on communal farms, especially in countries like Vietnam and China.

RiceRiceRice, usually grown under

wet conditions, is the staple food crop of South, Southeast, and East Asia.

Rice is generally grown in paddies. The shallow puddles take advantage of the rice plant's tolerance to water; the water in the paddies prevents weeds from outgrowing the crop. Once the rice has established dominance of the field, the water can be drained in preparation for harvest. Paddies increase productivity, although rice can also be grown on dry land (including on terraced hillsides) with the help of chemical weed controls.

Top paddy rice producers — 2005Top paddy rice producers — 2005(million metric ton)(million metric ton)

        ChinaChina 182182

        IndiaIndia 137137

        IndonesiaIndonesia 5454

        BangladeshBangladesh 4040

        VietnamVietnam 3636

        ThailandThailand 2727

        MyanmarMyanmar 2525

        PakistanPakistan 1818

        PhilippinesPhilippines 1515

        BrazilBrazil 1313

        JapanJapan 1111

World TotalWorld Total 700700

Source:Source:UN Food & Agriculture OrganisationUN Food & Agriculture Organisation

FishingFishing

Fisherman in Thialand

Marine fisheries are extremely important in Asia. Japan is the world’s leading fishing country, and China is not far behind. The fishing industry is also important in Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, and the Philippines.

In some countries freshwater fish are an important component of the diet of the local people; raising fish in culturally controlled ponds is significant in southern China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Fish from big delta regions such as the Ganges in Bangladesh provide local populations with a valuable source of protein.

Thailand has become one of the world's most important fish exporters, largely because of its shrimp and prawn farming.

Shrimp growout pond on a farm in South Korea

Raising sheep and goats for meat and wool is especially important in China, India, Pakistan, and Iran; these animals also are raised in nearly all the other countries of Asia, although the sheep population of Southeast Asia is small. Semi-nomadic herding is practiced on the steppe lands of Central Asia, as it is in parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Angora goats are herded in Anatolian Turkey to provide the silky mohair for which they are noted. Silkworms are raised for their silk in China, Japan, India, and the Central Asian republics.

Syria: A shepherd herding her sheep

Thailand: Silkworms feed on leaves

Livestock

CuisineCuisine "Asian cuisine" can refer to cuisines of all of Asia. However there is immense variation in the cuisines of the countries and ethnic groups in Asia, ranging from the hot and spicy dishes of South and Southeast Asia to the intricate and more delicately spiced dishes of Japan. Rice is a staple in all of these regions except for parts of northern China.

In Pakistan and northern India, an assortment of breads is staple in addition to the usual rice. In the landlocked countries of Central Asia, the eating habits are very different to the rest of Asia. Central Asian Cuisine is dominated by dairy products and meat.

Chinese Chinese CuisineCuisine

A Chinese meal in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, with bowls of white rice, shrimp, eggplant, fermented tofu, vegetable stir-fries, vegetarian duck, and a central dish with meat and bamboo. There are 6 bowls of rice, one for each person.

Japanese Japanese CuisineCuisine

Tamago kake gohan (left), Tsukemono and Miso soup

Iranian Iranian CuisineCuisine

The Persian Kabab is often served with both plain rice and a special (yellow cake) rice called tah-chin.

Kazakh Kazakh CuisineCuisine

Besbarmak (commonly called "Narin" in Xinjiang) undoubtedly is the most popular Kazakh dish. It consists of boiled horse or mutton meat with small pieces of pastry boiled in broth and sprinkled with parsley and coriander.