East Asia

North-east Asia

In North-east Asia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, fertilizer consumption has reached optimum levels. All these countries are highly industrialized but with a highly protected agriculture. In Japan, fertilizer consumption has been adversely affected for some time by reduced rice acreage, environmental issues, falling agricultural production, low product prices and an inability to compete with exports. In the Korean Republic, fertilizer consumption was adversely affected by the financial crisis of 1998. The agriculture of these countries is highly protected and there is pressure to open up their agricultural markets.

South-east Asia

Comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, until the financial crisis of 1998, fertilizer consumption in this region had increased at a moderate but steady rate for many years. The plantation sector provides stability in Malaysia and to a lesser extent in Indonesia. In Malaysia, there are 4.4 million ha of oil palm and rubber, compared with 0.7 million ha of paddy. In Thailand 60% of the population is engaged in agriculture and there is a thriving agricultural export market. Low commodity prices, especially for oil palm products, resulted in a substantial reduction of consumption in 2000/01 but this was probably exceptional.