FOR WANT OF RICE - SARAWAKS ATTEMPTS AT RICE SELF-SUFFICIENCY DURING THE PERIOD OF BROOKE RULE, 1841-1941

In Sarawak under the Brooke regime, efforts to promote rice cultivatio n were consistently overshadowed by the channelling of capital and lab our to other more profitable economic pursuits. Measures to increase d omestic rice output produced few results, and the failure of Brooke ri ce policy was amply demonstrated when the country faced a severe rice crisis in 1919-21. However, the lessons learnt during the crisis were soon forgotten, and despite government policies designed to reduce Sar awak's dependence on imported rice, little was accomplished during the next two decades.