Agricultural Economics
Individual Documents
Description:
"Response Plan Overview:
The Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan requests US$764 million to reach 4.5 million people prioritized for life-saving humanitarian support (52 per cent women, 32 percent children and 13 per cent with disability).
The people of Myanmar have entered 2023 facing an unprecedented political, socioeconomic, human rights and humanitarian crisis with residual needs persisting from previous years, and new needs flowing from security and conflict dynamics since the military takeover on 1 February 2021. Almost half the population is thought to be living in poverty in 2023, wiping out the impressive development gains made since 2005.1 The number of people on the move as a result of conflict and depleted coping capacity has sky-rocketed in 2022 and stands at 1.5 million at the start of 2023.2 Price hikes, severe inflation, movement restrictions, armed conflict and violence have forced many of the most vulnerable people to resort to crisis or emergency coping strategies to buy food and other basic supplies, often negatively impacting on their safety, well-being, and dignity. This multi-dimensional humanitarian crisis is now affecting the whole country, posing grave protection risks for civilians, limiting access to services and deepening food insecurity.
The grim outlook outlined in the HNO makes a scaled-up, context-adapted humanitarian response essential in 2023 to prevent loss of life and reduce suffering. This response will be delivered through coordination architecture that is more fi t-for-purpose as recommended by a 2022 P2P review of the response. A new HCT Localization Strategy and workstream, also recommended by the P-2-P report, will be central to response delivery in 2023.
The UN SERRP will also have a critical complementary nexus role to play in 2023 by preventing more people from slipping into humanitarian need by addressing the root causes of the crisis, targeting those who are impoverished and at-risk but not yet in humanitarian need, supporting people to build their resilience and recover from humanitarian situations, and pivoting available development resources to reach those with urgent needs whom humanitarians are not able to reach due to funding constraints through different kinds of support. Nexus interventions under the SERRP will complement the HRP by increasing access to services and strengthening the communities’ socioeconomic resilience, as well as contributing to preventing people from slipping into situations where they must rely on humanitarian assistance for survival.
After a broader urban and rural response was implemented in 2022, addressing the humanitarian consequences and most severe economic impacts of COVID-19, as well as the conflict, the humanitarian response strategy in 2023 follows a slightly narrower geographical scope of action. In agreement with the development community in Myanmar, the HRP in 2023 will focus predominantly on people in need in rural areas, essentially transitioning the signifi cant caseload of vulnerable people in peri-urban and urban areas to development partners for more durable support through programming focused on resilience, prevention, and improved living conditions.
The HRP is strategically aimed at providing life-saving assistance to those immediately affected by shocks, including people who are displaced, as well as those who are acutely crisis-affected and have humanitarian needs. The response will aim to alleviate suffering for people facing acute vulnerabilities such as mental and physical disability; those using dangerous coping strategies; internally displaced people and returnees; and those living in households headed by women, children, or the elderly. There is a heavy emphasis on addressing food insecurity in the Response Plan given the worsening national trends and enormous needs revealed in the HNO analysis for 2023. Protection responses and advocacy are a top priority that will be implemented through systematic information collection, protection monitoring and analysis, guided by the HCT’s newly updated Protection Strategy.
The focus will be on identifying people with specific needs and reaching the most at-risk with life-saving and emergency protection services that reduce the adoption of negative coping strategies and improve people’s safety and dignity.
In 2022, humanitarian partners demonstrated their ability to scale up their response in the difficult new operating environment reaching at least 3.9 million people3 out of the 6.2 million people targeted for assistance in the HRP by September using adopting flexible response modalities to ensure continuity of operations. However, this assistance has not been as multi-sectoral or as weighted towards new conflict areas as planned due to gross under-funding and heavy access constraints.
Despite a shrinking space for the humanitarian response, operational partners continue to have presence and capacity across the country and are committed to staying and delivering a well-coordinated life-saving response amid increasingly challenging circumstances in 2023. With all clusters (except Logistics) fully activated nationally, humanitarian organizations have gone to great lengths to expand their footprint into areas of new need and are reaching increasing numbers of people affected by the expanding conflict. In addition to established partners who have demonstrated the scope to expand their existing response, a major effort is ongoing to link up with new partners, particularly local organizations, to increase access and reach, especially into hard-to-reach, conflict areas. At the start of 2023, 219 operational cluster partners stand ready to provide life-saving assistance to people in need, a significant increase from the 130 partners operational in quarter 1 of 2022.4
In 2023, humanitarians will continue to try all viable avenues to deliver assistance and alleviate the suffering of affected people, recognizing that there are some areas that are easier for certain actors to reach than others - especially at-scale. Those who are in-country will continue working to keep an internal window of access to affected people open - often by supporting local partners working heroically in the deep field - while simultaneously coordinating with those who are delivering assistance through remote modalities. Expanded humanitarian access, especially to conflict-affected areas, is vital to delivering on the HRP’s aims and partners will continue to employ a principled approach to access negotiations. To deepen access in all areas of the country and enable humanitarian organizations to deliver assistance, the revitalized Humanitarian Access Working Group (HAWG) will guide analysis, access and civil-military coordination and advocacy.
Alternative delivery approaches, including cash, remote and private sector modalities will continue to be explored to reach more people in the constrained environment. In line with standard global approaches, humanitarians will continue to engage with all sides to secure access to people in need of humanitarian support and raise protection concerns with parties to the conflict. Such engagement is a practical necessity to ensure staff can safely enter conflict areas to deliver assistance. Politicization of this practical humanitarian engagement and instrumentalization of humanitarian actors in 2022 has put staff in danger and there are concerns about the safety of aid workers in this highly charged environment. To ensure no one is left behind, humanitarian workers in Myanmar must be allowed to do their jobs free from restrictions and harassment, in line with all the protections afforded to them under International Humanitarian Law (IHL).
Despite the predominant public discourse, humanitarian focus group discussions (FGDs) with affected people in different parts of the country over the past year have consistently suggested that the most vulnerable people want humanitarians to continue with our existing work to meet their urgent and immediate needs, whatever way they can. These less visible but very vulnerable people who are receiving vital assistance continue to tell humanitarian actors that their help is a lifeline and that they are fearful of it stopping.
The response will continue to emphasize the importance of enhancing AAP work, reinforcing Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA); preventing and responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV); strengthening gender, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS); and promoting and delivering on disability inclusion. Humanitarian systems will be strengthened through dedicated technical working groups on these areas, as well as other cross-cutting and thematic topics. Cash will play an increasingly important role in the restrictive operational environment as a means to get assistance to people in need. Cash coordination will be scaled up in 2023 with an in-depth review planned on the feasibility of moving to a genuine multi-purpose cash approach, encompassing the breadth of the humanitarian response in 2024..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (New York) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
Date of publication:
2023-01-25
Date of entry/update:
2023-01-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UN System humanitarian assistance, Agricultural Economics, Food Security and nutrition in Burma/Myanmar, Public Health, Human Rights and international relations
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
9.55 MB (Original version) -149 pages
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Topic:
Barter Deal, Belt And Road Forum, Mandalay Rice Development Company, Myanmar Rice Exports, Rice Farmers
Sub-title:
Rice merchants in Myanmar are struggling to adapt to a new barter trade deal with China. The barter deal aims to stabilise border trade but risks depriving Myanmar’s rice industry of much-needed income.
Topic:
Barter Deal, Belt And Road Forum, Mandalay Rice Development Company, Myanmar Rice Exports, Rice Farmers
Description:
"Myanmar recently signed a trade deal with China to increase rice exports across its northern border fourfold to 400,000 tonnes per year. But under the new trade agreement, Chinese traders will pay for a quarter of the sum with bartered goods.
The barter deal offers a boost to farmers and traders in Myanmar by regulating trade and reducing costly border closures and unpredictable tariffs on the Chinese side. But the terms of the deal also impose a burden for everyone along Myanmar’s supply chains.
Myanmar and China signed the agreement on agricultural trade at the Belt and Road Forum in April. Mandalay Rice Development Company (MRDC) agreed to export 100,000 tonnes of rice to Kunming Green Color Trade Co in exchange for construction materials, appliances, fertilizers and agricultural machinery. But many merchants in Myanmar find they’re unable to sell the bartered goods.
U Htay Lwin, chair of the Rice Millers Association in Mandalay, has advocated for a barter system, saying that it would help reduce the power imbalance between the trading partners. But the current agreement may fall short of this goal..."
Source/publisher:
"ASEAN Today"
Date of publication:
2019-08-13
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agricultural Economics, Border Trade with China, Smallholder farming and farmers in Burma/Myanmar, “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Burma's economic relations with China, China-Burma relations
Language:
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Description:
"Earnings from Myanmar’s agricultural exports have fallen by around 20 percent since the NLD-government took office in 2015 due to a lack of planning, technological progress and policy direction, insiders said.
The fall in export earnings also coincides with a widening trade deficit and dearer exchange dollar exchange rate, which should make the country’s exports cheaper and more attractive to international buyers.
Yet, “there has been little change in the agriculture sector and implementation of new policies has not been very effective. Some have even introduced more difficulties for farmers,” said U Soe Win Maung, adviser to Myanmar Pulses, Beans & Sesame Seeds Merchants Association.
While the number of loans available by the Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank has increased, for example, farmers face the additional hassle of having to fill up forms and complete other administrative processes. Meanwhile, it is not uncommon for loan disbursements to take longer than expected, so farmers end up receiving the funds after they are needed..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times"
Date of publication:
2018-09-18
Date of entry/update:
2019-08-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Smallholder farming and farmers in Burma/Myanmar, Agricultural marketing, Agricultural Economics, Rice
Language:
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Description:
"...CONCLUSIONS
The following conclusions can be drawn from this
analysis: First, MADB is by far the most important
source of loans for agriculture, and plays a crucial role
in ensuring that most farmers have access to credit
at affordable rates. Terms of repayment for MADB
loans appear somewhat more flexible than is generally
understood, particularly for monsoon loans, which
have repayment periods that are two months longer
on average than those for loans taken in dry season.
(Repayment schedules for dry season loans are presumably
more tightly restricted due to the Bank?s need
to disperse the main tranche of monsoon loans from
July onwards). Perhaps because a degree of flexibility
exists, the share of farmers reporting the need to
sell crops earlier than they preferred in order to meet
MADB loan repayments was lower than expected.
Second, informal lenders (predominantly relatives/
friends and moneylenders) are by far the most common
sources of informal credit for agriculture, but
are also among the most expensive. The least creditworthy
agricultural households (those with the smallest
landholdings and lowest per capita expenditures)
are most heavily dependent on these sources, and thus
face a double burden of limited resources and expensive
debt. Loans from these two sources also dominate
credit utilized for aquaculture. However, despite
average operating costs much higher than those in agriculture,
only 41% of households practicing aquaculture
had accessed a loan for this purpose within the
past 12 months, suggesting that the cost of informal
credit may act as a disincentive to investment in the
activity, likely resulting in sub-optimal productivity.
Third, the prevalence of output-tied loans in agriculture
is insignificant, with no loans of this type being
provided by traders or input suppliers. In the case of
aquaculture, such loans are available from fish traders,
but only to large farms. Rather than being exploitative,
as such arrangements are often perceived to be,
these loans are advantageous to borrowers, because
average loan sizes and loan durations are greater than
for those from other informal sources, and average
rates of interest are lower.
Fourth, access to loans from microfinance institutions
and cooperatives improved sharply between 2011 and
2016. The greater availability credit from these providers
appears to be linked to a 12-percentage point
reduction in the average rate of interest paid on loans
taken from sources other than banks over this period.
Although this is a very positive development, loans
from these sources represent only a small share of
that invested agriculture and aquaculture, suggesting
potential to tailor them more effectively to meet
the needs of farm households."
Source/publisher:
Michigan State University (MSU)-Food Security Policy Project Research Highlights Myanmar
Date of publication:
2016-09-00
Date of entry/update:
2018-03-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
842.38 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
"After nearly three decades of isolation from the world economy, Myanmar is moving forward with political and economic reforms. As a result of this political and economic transformation Myanmar has tremendous opportunities for growth. Although agriculture accounts for the largest share of employment in Myanmar, its contribution to GDP is small. Myanmar?s agriculture value chains are under developed; smallholder capacity is low and investment in the agriculture sector has been limited. At the same time, Myanmar?s geographic position and climate make agriculture a potential driver for growth and development. In
particular, Myanmar is well positioned to become a large exporter of rubber.Large parts of the high rainfall areas in eastern and southeastern Myanmar are well-suited for rubber cultivation. Following a gradual liberalization of the agriculture sector in the 1990s and a surge in rubber prices in international markets in the 2000s, there was a surge in smallholder investment. Although yields remain low, they have risen substantially over the past two decades..."
Source/publisher:
Joanna van Asselt, Kyan Htoo, and Paul Dorosh
Date of publication:
2016-11-00
Date of entry/update:
2018-03-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
382.55 KB
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Description:
"The purpose of this report is to provide information and analysis to government, civil society, and donors interested in improving the well-being of the rural population of Mon State. Specifically, the report analyzes the different sources of income for rural households, as well as their socioeconomic characteristics, with a view to identifying potential pathways to improving incomes, especially for poor households, and stimulating inclusive rural growth. The overall picture that emerges is one of an economy heavily dependent on services for local employment and on international migration for income. Like a two-legged stool, such an economy is potentially unstable in the face of external
shocks. Diversification of the Mon State economy, including diversification and increased productivity within the agricultural sector, will lessen the relative dependence on external migration
remittances and result in more resilient growth in the future.
The analysis presented in this report is based on a sample of 1,632 rural households. The sample households were selected from village communities identified by rural enumeration areas (EAs) in the 2014 population census. All potential EAs were
first stratified according to the primary agricultural activity (rice, rubber, orchard, or marine fishing). A total of 140 EAs (a little more than 6% of the sampling frame of rural EAs) were randomly selected, 35 from each of the four activity strata. For each selected EA, 12 households were randomly selected based on a household listing. The sample is designed to be representative of rural households in Mon State as a whole, as well as the major agricultural activities that rural households engage in..."
Source/publisher:
Michigan State University (MSU) & Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy
Date of publication:
2016-09-00
Date of entry/update:
2018-03-13
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.46 MB
Local URL:
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Description:
""This research highlight presents findings from the Myanmar Aquaculture Agriculture Survey 2016 (MAAS) on the characteristics of off-farm em- ployment and the rural non-farm economy in four townships close to the city of Yangon. Two groups of village tract were selected to facilitate comparison of the impacts of aquaculture and agri- culture on the rural economy: an ?aquaculture cluster?, located in areas with high densities of fish farms, and an ?agriculture cluster? located in areas nearby where cultivation of paddy and pulses was the main form of agricultural production. This research highlight fo- cusses on the characteristics of off-farm employment in the two clusters..." ... CONCLUSIONS:
1. Off-farm employment is extremely important,
even among the wealthiest households and largest
landholders. It provides work of 78% of all
households surveyed and are the sole source of
earnings for 56% of households.
2. Aquaculture appears to create additional off-farm
employment opportunities compared to
areas dependent on paddy and annual crop cultivation,
in terms of both employment duration
and numbers of jobs created.
3. Off-farm labor markets in the areas surveyed
appear well integrated, as indicated by similar
wage rates across clusters, but there is a large
gender disparity in the wages paid for comparable
forms of work.
4. Remittances are important for receiving households
in the village tracts surveyed, but their
contribution to off-income is small in comparison
to that of non-farm enterprises and wage
labor. However, the labor shortages created
by migration appear to drive up rural wages,
benefitting individuals employed off-farm.
5. Significant improvements have occurred in
transport services and travel times, geographical
connectivity and human mobility within the
last five years, but there is still much scope for
infrastructure development that would accelerate
these further.
6. The rural non-farm economy is growing quickly
and restructuring in response to these stimuli."
Source/publisher:
Michigan State University (MSU)-Food Security Policy Project Research Highlights Myanmar
Date of publication:
2016-10-00
Date of entry/update:
2018-03-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agricultural Economics
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
933.33 KB
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Description:
"Recent evidence suggests that the mechanization of
agriculture is proceeding rapidly in areas of Myanmar
close to the country?s major city, Yangon, as farmers -
driven by the need to remain profitable in the face of
labor shortages and rising wage rates - adopt a variety
of labor saving technologies (Win and Thinzar 2016
).
In this brief, we present findings from the first survey
in Myanmar to analyze the supply side of agricultural
mechanization..."
Source/publisher:
Michigan State University (MSU)
Date of publication:
2016-12-00
Date of entry/update:
2018-03-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agricultural Economics, Rural labour issues
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.06 MB
Local URL:
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Description:
"... Inle Lake situated in Southern Shan State is well known by local populace and foreign visitors for the natural beauty of the lake waters, surrounding mountain ranges, tomato floating gardens and leg rowers of boats. The lake plays a vital role for the ecosystem and economy of Shan State, providing many important goods and services for the communities. It is an ASEAN heritage site and also on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is the main water source for Lawpita hydroelectricity power plant, a major tourist attraction site and a habitant for rich biodiversity and traditional culture. The lake is now facing devastating effects of unsustainable practices in forestry, agriculture and fishing activities. The situation is accelerated by impact of climate change. Water surface area and sanitation is decreasing, fish and plant species are disappearing at a fast rate while water hyacinth species are increasing, blocking water ways and dominating other useful water cress that farmers use for building floating gardens.
Therefore with the collaboration of Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF), UNDP and UNESCO, a fund has been provided from Norwegian Government to implement conservation and rehabilitation activities in the area. UNDP acting as the funding agency is working together with implementing partners to restore the area with the assistance of local communities. Due to the need of the communities, organic farming and market linkages activity has been implemented by Doe Taung Thu, a local non-government organization.
For Organic farming, farmers have been trained in compost making, vermiculture, production of agriculture organic inputs such as natural pesticides, plant juice, fruit juice containing indigenous micro-organisms. With these products farmers are utilizing natural resources in the area. In
addition an attempt is made to utilize water hyacinth for agricultural use.
Objectives
To collect water hyacinth from water ways and shred into small pieces for compost
making
To decrease water hyacinth in the lake and clear water ways for easy access to villages
To use shredded water hyacinth for mulching crops in a form of composting
To conserve moisture in soil by mulching, protect soil erosion and slow down rain run off
so that moisture can penetrate deep down to the roots
To prevent rain splashing onto leaves and minimize leaf diseases
To suppress weeds and minimize weeding
To use chopped water hyacinth to feed earth worms
To increase chicken and duck feed for communities..."
Heather Morris, U Myint Zaw
Source/publisher:
Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF)
Date of publication:
2012-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-04-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agricultural Economics, Biodiversity - Burma/Myanmar-related, Agricultural policy, Pollution (various sources)
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
404.88 KB
Local URL:
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Description:
This Background Paper is an integral part of the Diagnostic Assessment. It involves an assessment of the Myanmar rice value chain within the context of the Myanmar rice industry. Special focus is paid to its structure and performance, dynamics, and future prospects. Also included is a consideration of its weaknesses and constraints that had influenced the development of the industry as well as an evaluation of the prospect of improving the value chain and consequently the industry and suggesting crucial steps that should be taken for the short game and the long game. Basically, the report integrates the findings from intensive literature review and desk research coupled with observations and interviews conducted during field visits in October and November 2012 and supplemented by persona communication with key players in the public and private sectors as well as civil society at various levels of the rice value chain.
Larry C.Y. Wong, Eh Mywe Aye Wai
Source/publisher:
Myanmar Development Resource Institute - Centre for Economic and Social Development (MDRI-CESD)
Date of publication:
2013-03-00
Date of entry/update:
2016-04-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Food Security - global and regional literature, Economy: general, analytical, statistical (Government of Myanmar perspectives), Agricultural Economics, Agriculture in Burma/Myanmar: general and research, Rice
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.74 MB
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Description:
"Myanmar is an agricultural country. It is estimated that the agriculture sector represents
between 35 to 40 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and that up to 70 percent of the
labor force (of 32.5 million) is directly or indirectly engaged in agricultural activities or
depend on agriculture for their income. Moreover, it is estimated that agriculture products
generate between 25 and 30 percent of total export earnings. Given agriculture?s important
contribution to the economy, the modernization of the agriculture sector is a top priority in the
economic and social development agenda of the Government of Myanmar.
Looking forward, Myanmar?s agricultural potential is enormous given the country?s rich natu-
ral resources and favorable geographical location. Myanmar?s diverse topography, climates,
water resources, and eco-systems offer farmers and investors the opportunity to produce a
wide range of cereals, pulses, horticultural products, fruits, livestock, and fish. Because of its
strategic location between the two enormous regional markets of India and China, and easy
access to buoyant markets in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
Myanmar?s agriculture sector is well positioned to grow, develop a dynamic agribusiness
industry, and provide people with the opportunity to improve their living standards......
1.Diagnostic of MADB:
1.1 Overview of the Agriculture Sector and the Role of MADB...
1.2 MABD?s Mission and Policy Mandate...
1.3 Lending Operations:
Seasonal Crop Production Loan (SCPL) and Term Loan (TL),
Breakdown of the Loan Portfolio,
Loan Guarantees,
Loan Amount per Farmer...
1.4 Credit Policies...
1.5 Pricing and Funding...
1.6 Risk Management...
1.7 Corporate Governance:
Board,
Internal Control System,
External Audit System...
1.8 Operations...
1.9 Legal, Regulatory, and Supervisory Regime...
1.10 Accounting and Financial Reporting...
Human Resources.....
2.Options for the Transformation of MADB...
2.1 Strengthening MADB in the Short Term...
2.2 Issues to Consider for MADB?s Long-Term Transformation.....
3.Lessons from International Experience...
3.1 Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives...
3.2 Bank Rakyat Indonesia...
3.3 Financiera Rural of Mexico.....
4.Conclusions
Source/publisher:
The World Bank Group
Date of publication:
2014-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2015-09-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
World Bank, Agricultural Economics
Language:
English
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Description:
Introduction: "Rural
community
is
one
of
the
strengths
in
country
building.
In
a
nation-‐state
administrative
policy
changes
are
followed
by
economic
policy
changes,
then
by
changes
in
livelihood
strategies.
To
members
of
rural
society
mostly
existing
on
agriculture
livelihood
strategies
go
different
based
on
accessibility
of
assets.
To
become
a
modern,
developed
nation
mainly
means
brisk
economic
development,
in
which
increased
rural
production
plays
an
important
part.
A
bout
(70)
percent
of
Myanmar
population
are
rural
and
farmers
by
the
livelihood.
Agriculture
sector
is
the
main
prop
to
Myanmar?s
economic
structure.
Rice
is
the
staple
food
of
Myanmar
people
and
paddy
cultivation
is
the
livelihood
of
majority
of
cultivators
in
the
country.
The
Union
Government
is
working
for
betterment
of
agriculture
sector
as
well
as
farmers?
life.
In
implementing
with
increased
momentum
rural
development
program
aimed
at
enhancement
of
rural
people?s
socio-‐economic
development,
it
is
necessary
to
know
of
their
present
status,
needs
and desires.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-26 July 2015.
Shin Thynn Tun
Source/publisher:
International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-26 July 2015
Date of publication:
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update:
2015-08-10
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Sustainable agriculture - Burma/Myanmar, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture in Burma/Myanmar: general and research, Agricultural marketing, International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies (ICBMS) 23-26 July, 2015
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.88 MB
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Description:
Key findings:
Price fluctuations are common in agricultural markets. However, rice price volatility in Myanmar is more profound than in neighboring rice net-exporter countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
The economic liberalization in 2004 removed local trade barriers and this reduced risks and price volatility in the domestic rice market. Even if Myanmar?s price fluctuations decreased in recent years (compared to the mid-2000s), it remains high.
Beyond price volatility, rice prices have risen by 41% between 2009 and 2013. This is much higher than that of rice exporters in neighboring countries like Thailand and Cambodia.
The high concentration of the paddy harvest in November and December is the main cause of rice price volatility. Nearly 70% of paddy is harvested in just two months of the monsoon season. This results into sharp price drops from December to January and spike-ups between May and October.
Production in dry season is small due to a lack of rice varieties with different harvesting periods, growth durations, and appropriate irrigation.
The rice market is fragmented and weakened due to poor roads and low phone coverage. There is also inaccurate information on rice production, consumption, trade, and stocks. Due to the latter, farmers, millers, exporters, and the government often overreact when there are minor price changes. This ignites volatility even further, given that private stocks are too small to buffer price fluctuations.
Poor diversification of export markets also contribute to price volatility. Most of the formal rice exports go to Africa with stable prices. The informal cross-border export to China, in contrast, has been highly unpredictable. The recent closure of informal trade with China is an example of such unpredictability.
Source/publisher:
World Bank (Agriculture Global Practice East Asia and Pacific Region)
Date of publication:
2014-10-04
Date of entry/update:
2014-11-26
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Rice, Agricultural Economics
Language:
English, Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ (executive summary)
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.91 MB
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Description:
400-page book in image files divided into chapters..... Title page, Content, etc...Acknowledgement...Chapter 1-
Introduction...Chapter 2 -
Agro-Based Industrializing Strategy...Chapter 3 -
Rice Industry...Chapter 4 -
Wheat Flour Industry...Chapter 5 -
Pulses Industry...Chapter 6 -
Feed Industry...Chapter 7 -
Edible Oil Industry...
Chapter 8 -
Growth, Survival and and Prospects of Sugar Processing SMEs...Chapter 9 -
Cotton textile Industry... Chapter 10 -
Facts About Myanmar Jute Industries...Chapter 11 -
Chapter 11 Rubber& Rubber Product Industry
U Tin Htut Oo, Toshihiro Kudo
Source/publisher:
IDE- Institute of Developing Economies / JETRO - Japan External Trade Organization
Date of publication:
2003-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2012-09-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agribusiness - Agro-based industry, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture in Burma/Myanmar: general and research
Language:
English
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Description:
Abstract: CONTENTS: Introduction; concepts and rationale; concept of diversification; rationale for diversification; significance for IMR; Structural features of IMR and their relevance to diversification; evidence of diversification in the IMR; trends in areas and production of crops and meat production; agricultural exports; future challenges and guiding principles; references....Keywords: Agricultural diversification Economic aspects.; Indochina Economic policy.; Poverty alleviation.; Myanmar Economic policy.; Meat industry and trade.
Francesco Goletti
Source/publisher:
International Food Policy Research Institute
Date of publication:
1999-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2008-04-22
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Rural development in Burma/Myanmar, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture in Burma/Myanmar: general and research
Language:
English
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Description:
Abstract:
"Myanmar?s agricultural economy is in transition from a planned to a market system. However, the
economy does not seem to capture the full gains of productivity growth expected from such a
transition. Using a micro dataset collected in 2001 and covering more than 500 households in eight
villages with diverse agro-ecological environments, this paper shows that policy interventions in
land use and agricultural marketing underlie the lack of income growth. Regression analyses
focusing on within-village variations in cropping patterns show that the acreage share under nonlucrative
paddy crops is higher for farmers who are under tighter control of the local administration.
Keywords: reform, food policy, transitional economies, Asia, Myanmar."
Takashi Kurosaki
Source/publisher:
Hitotsubashi University Research Unit for Statistical Analysis in Social Sciences
Date of publication:
2005-03-00
Date of entry/update:
2008-04-22
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Agricultural Economics, Agricultural policy
Language:
English
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Description:
Abstract: "Creating a rice marketing system has been one of the central policy issues in
Myanmar?s move to a market economy since the end of the 1980s. Two liberalizations of rice
marketing were implemented in 1987 and 2003. This paper examines the essential aspects of
the liberalizations and the subsequent transformation of Myanmar?s rice marketing sector. It
attempts to bring into clearer focus the rationale of the government?s rice marketing reforms
which is to maintain a stable supply of rice at a low price to consumers. Under this rationale,
however, the state rice marketing sector continued to lose efficiency while the private sector
was allowed to develop on condition that it did not jeopardize the rationale of stable supply
at low price. The paper concludes that the prospect for the future development of the private
rice marketing sector is dim since a change in the rice market?s rationale is unlikely. Private
rice exporting is unlikely to be permitted, while the domestic market is approaching the
saturation point. Thus, there is little momentum for the private rice sector to undertake any
substantial expansion of investment."...
Keywords: Myanmar, rice, marketing system, liberalization
Ikuko Okamoto
Source/publisher:
IDE Discussion Papaer No. 43
Date of publication:
2005-12-00
Date of entry/update:
2006-07-16
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English (available also in Japanese - ?)
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Description:
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of marketing reforms implemented in the late 1980s in Myanmar. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact of the reform on the rural economy and its participants, namely farmers, landless laborers and marketing intermediaries. The reform had a positive effect on all these participants through the creation of employment opportunities and increased income. The driving force of this success was "market forces,"absence of bad policy" is emphasized as a key for the success in the context of Myanmar, where excessive and murky government intervention often resulted in failure to induce private sector development.
Ikuko Okamoto
Source/publisher:
IIDE ( Institute of Developing Economies)
Date of publication:
2004-01-28
Date of entry/update:
2005-01-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
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pdf
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