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The article discusses the Asian rice industry in relation to the author's claim that governments in places such as Indonesia cause their own citizens to become poorer by interfering in the rice market as of 2015. According to the article, the wholesale cost of rice is higher in Indonesia than Cambodia due to Indonesia's role as a net importer of rice and Cambodia's ability to grow more rice than the nation needs. Transportation costs, import subsidies, and tariffs are also examined.

The article argues that the Indian government should replace the nation's welfare schemes with a universal basic income (UBI) single payment plan as of 2017, and it mentions how India offers subsidized food, fuel, and electricity to the country's poor residents. The impacts that artificial intelligence and automation are having on employment in places such as India are examined, along with India's economic conditions and the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), and bank accounts.

The author argues that government subsidies and protections for rice farmers in places such as Asia actually cause harm to the poorest people in the world, and it mentions data released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development regarding financial aid for rice and maize (corn) farmers. Tariffs, state monopolies, and the efforts to stimulate domestic production in Asian countries are also examined. Consumers in China, Indonesia, and the Philippines are assessed.