"The construction of rural roads in India has brought multi-faceted benefits to deprived rural areas and can be seen as an effective poverty reduction strategy. The economic benefits of rural roads include an increase in agricultural production, better prices for produce, reduction in transport costs, creation of new employment opportunities and lower prices for essential commodities.

The impact of the new links on the social life of the rural population is reflected in the form of better medical care, improved attendance at educational institutes, greater availability of public services and higher levels of social interaction."

"The Indonesian government should allocate 20 percent of the state budget for the education sector as a first step to improve the education system. Significant attention should also be paid to the promotion of reading among the Indonesian people, which is considerably low even among developing countries. To promote such habits, it is the high time for the government to start providing cheap, if not free, reading materials.

For primary and secondary education, the government could start by avoiding printing different textbooks each new academic year. For tertiary education, the Indonesian government should try to duplicate what the Indian government has done in the past by re-publishing modern foreign textbooks on cheap, low-quality paper."

"The State Council in PRC has ordered government departments to cut spending by 5 percent this year to free up money for quake reconstruction. The money will help finance a $10 billion fund for rebuilding after the May 12 quake, which killed tens of thousands. The overall impact of the quake on China's fast-growing economy is expected to be limited.

Sichuan is a major source of coal, natural gas and some farm goods but has little industry. State-owned and private companies suffered $9.5 billion in quake losses, according to the government's preliminary estimates. No details were given on how much money the spending cuts were expected to raise."

"After weeks of rising global food prices, the government has agreed to subsidize rice in Timor-Leste. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Timorese eat 83,000 metric tons of rice annually but only 40,000 tons is locally produced; the rest is imported from Indonesia, Thailand or Viet Nam.

A 35kg bag of imported rice should cost about $16, in line with local produce. However, over the past six months, the price of rice globally has risen, pushing the cost of imported rice well beyond the means of most families, who subsist on only a few dollars a day."

"India has witnessed unprecedented economic growth since 1991, when it decided to open up its economy. But the capital-intensive nature of this growth has not just thrown people out of their employment but has also failed to create fresh jobs.

India needs to achieve 3.9% employment growth per annum to meet the target of employment for all by 2012. More than 92 million people will need productive jobs. There is a shortage of skilled manpower and the ministry�fs emphasis now is on skill development."

"Although organic rice farming is still miniscule in Thailand, where most farmers remain attached to chemical fertilizers and industrial pesticides, those who have taken the green plunge are reaping double rewards this year. The Chachoengsao co-op uses only natural fertilizer -- cow and goat droppings -- and no chemical pesticides. In return, Green Net buys their rice at a premium price, usually a little above market rates, and handles the certification process.

Thailand's total rice exports last year amounted to 9.55 million tons, earning the country $3.6 billion. This year's rice exports are estimated to reach 8.75 million tons, earning as much as $4.7 billion. This will earn farmers and exporters a bonanza from higher commodity prices, ramped up by high oil prices and artificial shortages caused by export bans in India and Viet Nam."

"The main contributor to the drop in the national poverty level in Sri Lanka to 15.2 percent in 2006/07 from 22.7 percent in 2002 is the decrease of poverty incidence in the rural sector, where 80 percent of the population lives. However, almost one in every three persons still suffers from poverty.

The continuous drop of poverty throughout the last two decades in the urban sector has been matched by the Western province in which above 60 percent of the urban population in Sri Lanka lives. The Colombo and Gampaha districts, the lowest poverty districts in the country at 5.4 percent and 8.7 percent respectively are pushing down the level of poverty in the urban sector."

"Raising silkworms offers a promising alternative farm activity that promotes self-employment and provides other livelihood activities to help increase income. The rural people of Bangladesh are mostly landless farmers. They can easily be deployed in raising silkworms by planting mulberry trees for silkworm rearing at educational or institutional premises, embankments, road or pond sides, etc.

In terms of income, sericulture is comparatively more profitable than other agricultural activities, and requires low investment. Silk is a good earner of foreign currency as raw silk and silk products are good exportable items with comparative advantages."

"Though poverty reduction is considered an important issue in Viet Nam, the government has neglected to adjust the poverty threshold to yearly inflation. The country reduced its general poverty rate to 16 percent in 2006 from 37.4 percent in 1998. The figures also showed a significant decrease in the poor family poverty rate from 18.1 percent in 2004 to 15.5 percent in 2006 and 14.8 percent last year.

The poor family poverty rate draws the poverty line at a minimum average monthly income per capita of $16.1 for urban areas and $12.4 for rural areas. But the problem is that this line has been drawn for the entire 2006-2010 period. The statistics office needs to adjust these poverty thresholds following inflation each year -- instead of fixing the levels for a five-year period -- if it wants to accurately reflect the true poverty situation."

"With its high rate of growth, high yield and low water consumption, the potato has become the world's fourth major food crop, but its prospects in Indonesia face many challenges. Potatoes only grew well in cool environments, so plantations would be restricted to Indonesia's highlands, mainly in Java, Papua and North Sumatra.

Plantation opportunities were limited by competition for land with newly-built residences and plantations of other crops of higher value, including flowers and fruits. The government also discourages plantations on hillsides due to the risk of land erosion."

"Ali claims to have sold his 11-year-old daughter for $2,000 to a man in Sheberghan city, northern Afghanistan, to feed his wife and three younger children. With food prices in Afghanistan having soared over the past few months and the 40-year-old father unable to find work, he said he had no other choice but to sell his daughter to save his family from starvation.

'For too many days I stood next to roads and asked people for work, but always ended up disappointed. I couldn't go home empty-handed and disappoint my starving children, so I used to scavenge in garbage and collect leftover food. Because I am illiterate, no one will give me a job.' "

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