Risk is an integral part of financial intermediation. Hence, risk management must be at the heart of finance. However, it is disturbing to note that systematic risk management is still not as widespread as it should be in the microfinance industry. Except for a few flagship microfinance...

This paper presents a general picture of the difficulties in developing a sustainable lending service geared toward smallholder agriculture. Drawing on the experiences of the Philippines and other countries, it traces the rethinking of the agricultural credit policy following the collapse of...

This paper examines the activities of Mongolian financial intermediation and the factors influencing the progress of Mongolian microfinance. These were evaluated using data from household surveys in selected areas, financial statements of Khan Bank and XacBank, and information obtained from...

This paper investigates the determinants of total household income in selected rice-based farming villages in the Philippines. A quantile regression approach was applied on cross-section data obtained from 656 farming households across four provinces. Determinants of household income were...

This paper conducts an empirical investigation of the rural credit market in Myanmar to help guide policy formulation on the microfinance operations in the country. Specifically, it looks into the determinants of credit demand and of rationing loans at the household level, and identifies the...

Microfinance has become an important tool for poverty reduction in many parts of the world, including Asia and the Pacific region. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) target the poor through innovative approaches which include group lending, progressive lending, regular repayment schedules, and...

In order to explain the trends in the development and farm attributes of Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture (IAA) systems in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, a participatory community appraisal and two surveys are carried out in three districts with contrasting fish culture input systems. The first...

Global production of broiler meat has been growing since the 1960s, faster than that of any other meat. In recent years, this growth has occurred in developing countries. Broiler meat is popular because it is cheaper, more versatile, and is perceived to give more health benefits than red meat....

The expansion of supermarkets in Asia typifies the effects of the increasing liberalization in trade and the inflow of foreign investment. The supermarket revolution thus occupies a focal point in this paper which tracks its phenomenal growth in Asia, and its continuing inroads into CLMV –...

The paper proceeds from the widely held assessment that Myanmar’s economy is handicapped by structural imbalance, instability, inefficient and imperfect markets, and distorted prices. The paper delineates how this general state of affairs is clearly evident in the agricultural sector. It then...