"Staying ahead in Myanmar’s changing irrigation market Our irrigation business designs innovative products to meet the rapidly evolving needs of Myanmar’s smallholder farmers. While treadle pump sales declined 16 percent this year, the introduction of our new sprinkler system has contributed significantly in boosting overall sales. Precision irrigation systems (drip and sprinkler products) now account for 52 percent of total sales, up from 28 percent last year, reflecting broader technology trends throughout Myanmar. As urban and out migration have increased so have rural labor shortages, and consequently farmers continue to demand more labor-saving products. By making our precision irrigation systems compatible with mechanized pumps and focusing on technologies that optimize farmers’ limited resources, we are pivoting to meet their demands. As a result, product sales increased to 24,627 units, 17 percent higher than last year. Yetagon Irrigation’s production and delivery methods are evolving alongside its portfolio mix. The manufacturing team is now using foreign parts to assemble products in the South Dagon workshop, speeding up the production process, lowering costs, and improving the quality of our products. We have also refined our four-channel delivery system: agents are now trained to install products, allowing sales representatives and agro dealers to improve their closing rates to 30 percent, while an improved online platform allows us to engage with customers outside the reach of previously existing channels. This year the direct sales force, comprised of 83 sales representatives, held 47,510 product demonstrations and drove the majority of our irrigation product sales (73 percent). Although total product sales have increased, sales of specific products such as the Lotus solar pump were considerably lower than expected. In order to combat this low uptake, we have developed a new sales incentive structure and rent-to-own payment system for the solar pump. These new initiatives will be rolled out in Q1 FY2018..."