Rural Development in Asia: Issues and Perspectives

Abstract

During the last two decades, developing countries in Asia made remarkable progress in increasing agricultural production and rural incomes. Since the 1950s, there have been perceptible improvements in the countryside with expanded transportation networks, better communication systems, more developed irrigation infrastructure and modern buildings. However, it would be rather presumptuous to conclude from these physical developments that all the countries have reached the take-off stage in their development process. The available literature suggests that although incomes per capita have increased in absolute terms, the poor have become poorer and the rich, richer…