Economy
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Economy: general, analytical, statistical
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Articles (wire services etc) on the economy
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Price rises bite into impoverished Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 26 January 2003 |
| Description/subject: | | YANGON, Jan 26 (AFP) - "Condemned by western governments for its poor human
rights record, shunned by foreign investors and international financial
institutions, military-ruled Myanmar and its impoverished people are suffering
from spiralling inflation..." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | AFP |
| Format/size: | | html (12K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
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| Title: | | Burma's Economic Blues |
| Date of publication: | | August 2002 |
| Description/subject: | | Although reports from the military government paint a rosy picture of Burma as a prosperous modernizing nation, numerous signs indicate that the country�s economy is in dire straits.
...
When reading Burma�s state-run newspapers, however, it is sometimes hard to remember that Burma is one of the most impoverished nations on the globe. Leafing through the pages of the regime�s principal mouthpiece, the New Light of Myanmar, the reader is swamped with articles detailing the implementation of countless development projects�including new hospitals, dams and schools�that the ruling generals in Rangoon say lend credence to their mission of building a new and prosperous nation..." |
| Author/creator: | | Tony Broadmoor |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 10, No. 6, July-August 2002 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
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Burmese Economists on the Burmese Economy
Individual Documents
| Title: | | A Game of Cat and Mouse |
| Date of publication: | | February 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | Advising Burma’s generals on how to run the country’s economy is a risky business...
"During a rare economic forum held [in Rangoon?] in cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in December, U Myint, a retired economics professor at the Rangoon Institute of Economics, unveiled a few economic reform proposals.
Two Rangoon farmers chat in their feld after harvesting rice. About half of Burma’s GDP comes from agriculture. (Photo: AFP)
In a follow-up to this gathering, which was attended by former World Bank chief economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, U Myint, who has also served as an economic adviser to ESCAP, held a press briefing at the Myanmar Egress Capacity Development Center in Rangoon on Jan. 9.
In a press statement, U Myint recalled that someone at the earlier conference expressed the view that the only people worth talking to in Burma are the generals, but the generals are poor listeners, so it was a waste of time talking to them because nothing useful will result..." |
| Author/creator: | | Htet Aung |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 18, No. 2 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.irrawaddy.org/print_article.php?art_id=17697 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 28 February 2010 |
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| Title: | | Myanmar Economy A Comparative View |
| Date of publication: | | December 2009 |
| Description/subject: | | Revised and updated version of a paper presented to the Myanmar/
Burma Studies Conference, Singapore, 13–15 July 2006.....
Contents:
Introduction...
GDP Growth Rate...
Structure of GDP...
Per Capita GDP and the Question of Catching-Up...
Pattern of Household Consumption Expenditure...
Export Commodities...
Inflation...
The Exchange Rate...
Rethinking Policy and Implications for Regional Integration...
Concluding Remarks...
Appendix...
About the Author.....Introduction1
Building a modern developed nation
A stated objective of Myanmar is to become a modern developed nation that
will stand shoulder to shoulder – proud, dignified and tall – with the countries
of the world. How far has Myanmar come in achieving this goal, viewed
from an economic perspective?2 Where does it stand at present in relation to
other nations, and especially those in the Asian region?
This paper attempts to provide some thoughts along these lines by looking
at Myanmar’s official data on:
• Rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP)
• GDP growth in relation to gross domestic investment (GDI)
• Structure of GDP
• Level of per capita GDP
• Pattern of household consumption expenditure
• Commodity composition of exports
• Inflation rate
• Exchange rate |
| Author/creator: | | U Myint |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Institute for Security and Development Policy (Sweden) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (576K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 19 February 2010 |
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| Title: | | Myanmar’s GDP growth and investment: lessons from a historical perspective |
| Date of publication: | | January 2008 |
| Description/subject: | | "According to official figures, Myanmar has achieved double-digit gross domestic
product (GDP) growth rates every year for the six years from 2000 to 2005. These
figures have proved controversial. A related and another contentious issue
regarding Myanmar’s economic performance in the same period is that high real
GDP growth rates have been achieved with comparatively low gross domestic
investment (GDI) to GDP ratios.
In order to gain a proper perspective on these issues, one approach is to use
cross-sectional data for a particular period to obtain a comparative view of
Myanmar’s performance vis-a-vis the performance of its neighbours in the same
period. The comparative approach has been adopted frequently and has been
useful in analysing developments in Myanmar’s economic and social situation
through the years.
Myanmar has, however, a rich tradition of data collection and analysis. National
accounts data, for example, go as far back as 1948, when the country gained
independence, and even beyond. In addition to cross-sectional analysis, therefore,
the available time-series data could be used to review Myanmar’s recent economic
performance, as reflected in official data of the country’s past experience. Such
a brief review is attempted in this chapter with specific attention devoted to
real GDP growth and GDI..." |
| Author/creator: | | U Myint |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | 2007 Myanmar/Burma Update Conference via Australian National University |
| Format/size: | | pdf (168K) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://epress.anu.edu.au/myanmar02/pdf_instructions.html
http://epress.anu.edu.au/myanmar02/pdf/whole_book.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 30 December 2008 |
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| Title: | | Burma Economic Review 2005-2006 |
| Date of publication: | | June 2007 |
| Description/subject: | | Executive Summary:
The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) military junta claimed a 12.2 % growth in the
Burmese economy in 2006 but international sources say differently; they forecast a slim growth of
2 to 3 % rise. Production and exploration in the oil and gas sector is active, but the rest of
economy remains weak. Agriculture suffers from poor productivity, with output below
potential. Manufacturing is constrained by inadequate quantity and quality of inputs, due to
problems of imports and power shortages. Weak Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth reflects poor
prospects for consumption and investment.
In October 2005, the SPDC increased eight folds the state-subsidized petrol prices. This prompted
higher prices for basic commodities. Inflation returned to double digit rates. Monetary policy has
not addressed the inflationary pressures. Interest rates remain unchanged since 2001,
despite high inflation. But the SPDC increased the interest rates by two per cent points to 12 per
cent on 16 April 2006. Real rates are likely to be negative. Prices for important commodities soared
in the wake of junta’s decision to raise public-sector salaries in April 2006. Rice and fuel prices
remain high. Official data do not reveal the full extent of inflation reaching 14.3 % in December
2005 and 11 % in early 2006. Based on the official data series, the Economist Intelligent Unit (EIU)
estimates the annual inflation to average over 21 % in 2006.The true rate of inflation could be 50 %.
Strong growth in both narrow money supply (M1) and quasi-money (comprising time, savings
and foreign exchange deposits) contributed to a 26.8 % year-on-year expansion in broad money
supply (M2) at the end of May 2006. The junta demands credit from the Central Bank, which it uses
to fund its budget deficit. Total outstanding credit of the junta was 2.5 trillion kyat (nearly
US$440 billion at the official exchange rate, or US$1.9 billion at the free-market exchange rate) by
May 2006, an increase of 28 %.
The state budget remained unbalanced with substantial deficits during much of the 1990s.
Fiscal deficits are financed automatically by credit from the Central Bank, a source of domestic
inflation and instability in the economy. The Junta's state expenditures are disproportionately
allocated on items that deny sustainable development of the people or the nation. Defense,
ceremonies and rituals, festivals, inspection tours, meetings and seminars, building physical
infrastructure-roads, railways, bridges, dams, monuments, museums, shiny office complexes and
fancy airports, represent wasteful consumption or constitute expensive capital outlays, undertaken
without proper feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments, and unclear, uncertain
and dubious returns on investment. Chronic state budget deficits contribute to rapid monetary
growth and everspiraling inflation.
In order to recover the budget deficit, the junta-increased taxes and collected money and
forced people to labor for developmental projects such as construction of roads, dams, and
bridges. The junta continues to control, command, and centralize Burma’s people and the
economy. Exchange rate distortions favor a few at the expense of many. Fiscal deficit comes at the
expense of social spending which has been reduced far below necessary levels. At the same time,
financing the fiscal deficit through central bank credit is one underlying factor of persistent high
inflation.
The nation’s tax revenue remains buoyant, rising by 28.1 % year on year in nominal terms in
the first 11 months of fiscal year 2005/06 (April-March). Total tax revenue reached 292 billion
kyat during this period (around US$50 billion at the inflated official exchange rate, or US$225
million at free-market exchange rate). Although revenue is still rising, growth has slowed since
2004/05, when revenue expanded by 77 % year on year for the whole fiscal year. This in part
reflects a correction after an increase in average import tariffs, imposed in mid-2004, brought a
424 % year-on-year surge in customs tax fell by 15.1 per cent year on year to 16.2 billion kyat. A
clamp-down on corruption among customs officials in recent months may be part of an effort to
boost revenue from customs tax. Other sources of tax revenue expanded in the first 11 months of
2005/06. Profit tax jumped by 49 per cent year on year, slightly ahead of commodities and services
tax (which rose by 47 per cent) and income tax (11 per cent)1.
2
Total public-sector deficit reached 6 % of GDP for 2004/05. Heavy losses by the state-owned
enterprises (SOE) typically accounted for over 60 % of the overall deficit. The SPDC’s fiscal position
is also weighted down by high off-budget spending on the country's huge armed forces. The budget
position is unlikely to have improved in 2005/06 and 2006/07 (the current fiscal year), owing to the
junta's expansionary fiscal policy. The junta's decision to relocate many government offices to a
huge new administrative complex at Naypyidaw, 320 km north of Rangoon, imposed heavy costs. In
addition, in April 2006 the junta raised salaries for around 1 million civil servants and military
officers by between 500 and 1,200 per cent.
The black market is estimated to be as big if not bigger than the official economy. Published
statistics on foreign trade are greatly understated because of the size of the black market and
unofficial border trade. Burma's trade with Thailand, China, and India is rising. Though the Burmese
government has good economic relations with its neighbors, better investment and business
climates and an improved political situation are needed to promote foreign investment, exports,
and tourism.
No new foreign direct investment projects have been approved in recent months. Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) approvals totaled a meager US$35.7 million for the first 11 months of 2005/06,
down from US$158.3 million for the whole of 2004/05. It is possible that the data do not capture
some small FDI flows, such as those by Thai and Chinese firms in small projects along the border
with Burma. International tourist arrivals totaled 320,275 in 2005, up by 5 % year on year, according
to data from the Central Statistical Organization (CSO). Although arrivals rose, the pace of growth
slowed compared with 2004 (rose 11.6 per cent). The slowdown reflected a 5.6 % year on year drop
in arrivals by air, to 145,959, around 46 % total arrivals.
Total international reserves reached US$951 million at the end of June 2006, according to data
from the IMF. Reserves increased sharply in the first quarter of the year, surpassing US$900 million
for the first time, before rising further in the second quarter. The main reason for the improvement
in the overall balance-of-payments position and international reserves has been the rise in exports,
which have been driven by strong growth in exports of natural gas.
The official kyat exchange rate remains artificially inflated. The exchange rate like the rest of the
junta system does not reflect the reality of the monetary system. The free-market exchange rate of
kyat to US$ was 1,350:US$1 in July-October 2006, having recovered from kyat 1,450:US$1 at the
end of April, which also put pressure on prices. There has been a mild appreciation of the kyat
since then. The ratio of the parallel rate to the official rate is nearly 200:1. The kyat came under
pressure earlier this year owing to fears that a pay rise for civil servants would sharply push up
prices. However, strong gas exports have boosted international reserves, thereby helping the kyat
to stabilize. The little-used official exchange rate is fixed against the International Monetary Fund's
(IMF) special drawing rights (SDR) unit. The official rate held steady at around kyat 5.9:US$1 by
August 2006. |
| Author/creator: | | Sein Htay |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Burma Fund (NCGUB) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (1.5MB) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.ncgub.net/mediagallery/download.php?mid=20070523134011574 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 06 June 2007 |
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| Title: | | Economic Report on Burma 2004/05 |
| Date of publication: | | 06 May 2002 |
| Description/subject: | | "..The objective of this report is to help the policy makers with an analysis of the
international sanctions effect and to try to explain the real current economic and social
conditions, impact on and Burma's urgent need to combat poverty. Moreover, also try
to present the relationship between macro economic situation such as economic
growth, foreign trade, state budget, inflation, employment, wages and the conditions
of freedom, equity, security and human dignity in Burma. In addition, to explain how
the Burmese generals and their crony drug lords exploit the Burmese economy, and
how the Burmese military has become the sole beneficiary of foreign direct investment
by setting up its own industries separately from the state enterprises since 1988. And
also would like to explain the impact on the military's confiscation of land, labor, crops
and capital assets or militarization on the whole economy..." |
| Author/creator: | | Sein Htay |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Federation of Trade Unions-Burma (FTUB) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (3.4MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 14 March 2007 |
|
| Title: | | Myanmar: The Dilemma of Stalled Reforms |
| Date of publication: | | September 2000 |
| Description/subject: | | "Myanmar's economic reforms are constrained by the domestic political situation...
This paper explores Myanmar's political and economic background in the context of stalled reforms. It finds that Myanmar's economic development is constrained by the domestic political situation, which has in turn been linked to sanctions on trade, investment and aid imposed by Western Europe and the United States.
The paper states that further reforms are still required, as the previous round of reforms failed to redress problems such as:
* High inflation
* Persistent fiscal deficit
* Widening trade deficit
* Chronic foreign exchange shortage
* A drastic fall in foreign investment
* Inefficient state economic enterprises (SEEs)
* Low value-added production...
The paper notes:
* The current military government is endeavouring to institute a new political order, while at the same time attempting a smooth transition from a closed to an open market economy.
* The fundamental premise is that these broad political and economic reforms should not compromise the three principal main national causes including national sovereignty...
The paper concludes:
* Conflict between the NLD and the government and the resulting political impasse is the main obstacle for further reforms.
* The realization of Myanmars reforms will depend on whether the government and the opposition can be reconciled..." |
| Author/creator: | | Tim Maung Maung Than |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Institute for South-East Asian Studies (ISEAS) via Eldis |
| Format/size: | | pdf (80K) 40 pages |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs3/Dilemmas-TMMT.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
| Title: | | Economic Development of Burma: A Vision and a Strategy - a study by Burmese economists |
| Date of publication: | | 2000 |
| Description/subject: | | "...Together with the excessive crimes against human rights taking place in
Burma, the economic underdevelopment is a matter of concern to political leaders
and professional economists everywhere. It is, of course, of particular concern
to the Burmese people themselves, both those who live in the country, and those
who have travelled to other parts of the world. Therefore, it is a matter of great
importance to analyse the main factors which have stood in the way of Burma's
participation in the world-wide surge of economic growth in the past half a century,
and even more importantly, to devise ways in which the country can overcome
these obstacles and achieve a higher rate of economic development.
It is towards this objective that the present report makes an important contribution.
It is in fact a study undertaken by Burmese scholars themselves. Hence
they have brought to this study their own rich and personal knowledge of the
problems of the country and the possibilities that lie ahead. Additionally, most of
the scholars who have undertaken the present study have in fact travelled widely
and achieved high professional recognition as development specialists in the
leading universities of the world. They are thus able to combine their intimate
knowledge of the country with the latest advances in economic science in order
to give us some deep insights about the best ways to advance the future development
of Burma.
What follows is not a plan for economic development as it is commonly
understood. In that sense, a plan consists of definite targets to be achieved,
schedules for the implementation of various programmes, the mobilisation of
adequate resources for the purpose, and schemes for the appraisal and control of
the results. But planning in this sense is not something which can be efficiently
undertaken by a small group of scholars who are not in active collaboration with
those responsible for the implementation of plans. This is particularly the case with
those scholars who have been away from the country in recent years.
However, what such a group of Burmese scholars can do, and have done in
this study, is to think through the problems of developing the country in the long
run, taking into account Burma's own historical experience, the changes which
are taking place in the outside world, and to investigate the likely scenarios or
trends for the future, and thus come up with a vision of what to aim for and an
approach and sense of direction for the long term development of Burma. This
will give political leaders, both those inside the country who are responsible for
designing and carrying out its policies, and those in donor countries abroad who
can assist this effort by the scale of their financial and technical assistance. Such
strategic studies have been undertaken in countries as far apart as the United States
on the one hand, and Chile on the other. Nearer home, such studies have been
used by the governments of Singapore and Malaysia as the basis of their more
specific policies. It is in this sense that the present study will serve as a useful
basis for further thought and discussion by all concerned with the future welfare
of the people of Burma. A welfare that can take place nor survive without political
changes in the country..."...Overview and Policy Framework;
Agriculture;
Industry;
Natural Resources and Environment;
International Trade and Investment;
The Monetary and Fiscal Framework for
Macroeconomic Stability;
Poverty and Income Distribution;
Education;
Infrastructure;
Institutions;
Priorities and Problems of Implementation;
Conclusion |
| Author/creator: | | Khin Maung Kyi, Ronald Findlay, R.M. Sundrum, Mya Maung, Myo Nyunt, Zaw Oo, et al. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | The Olof Palme International Center |
| Format/size: | | pdf (1.7MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 17 April 2005 |
|
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Economy: general, analytical, statistical (Burma Economic Watch)
Burma Economic Watch (BEW) aims to provide up-to-date and reliable economic data and commentary on Burma's
economy. It is founded on the principle that it is only when democracy and freedom return to Burma that the country and its
people will be able to achieve their economic potential.
Information on Burma's economy is both difficult to obtain and notoriously unreliable. BEW aims to rectify this by disseminating
dependable information on Burma compiled by the IMF, the World Bank, embassy and foreign government reports, economic
journals, news and business publications and other verifiable sources. Information gleaned from official Burmese Government
sources is used with caution. Burma's military regime stopped publishing its own national accounts data in 1998.
BEW analyses are produced by economists and other specialists who volunteer their time. The documents are free and, with
appropriate acknowledgment, may be quoted without restriction. The BEW analyses are edited by Sean Turnell and Alison
Vicary of the Economics Department, Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. We welcome correspondence, contributions
and enquiries. Please address all correspondence to:
Dr Sean Turnell, Economics Department, Macquarie University,
NSW 2109, Australia. sturnell@efs.mq.edu.au
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Gas Attack |
| Date of publication: | | 04 September 2007 |
| Description/subject: | | "Recent protests over gas prices in Burma raise a complex question: Why Is Burma -- which sits atop a massive reserve of natural gas -- such an economic basket case? Look no further than the military government's track record of abysmal economic management.
Formally classified as a "least developed" country by the United Nations, Burma is mired in deep poverty. Annual per capita GDP is around $1,800 in terms of purchasing-power parity ($300 at the market exchange rate). That's considerably below the income of the next poorest members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Cambodia and Laos, which boast per capita purchasing-power parity GDPs of $2,700 and $2,100, respectively. Burma's unemployment rate is officially just over 10%, but the real figure may be closer to 30%, with many people in the labor force either underemployed or engaged in activities of very low productivity, such as subsistence farming.
Add to that a moribund financial system. At a time when even Vietnam is enjoying a booming stock market, Burma boasts all of about 400 bank branches (most of which are decrepit agencies of state-owned institutions), and only 20% of the population have bank accounts. Inflation is rampant -- averaging between 30% and 40% per year over the past five years (it's currently around 50%) -- thanks to a government that for years has financed extraordinary fiscal deficits by running the printing presses..." |
| Author/creator: | | Sean Turnell |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Wall Street Journal Online |
| Format/size: | | pdf (16k) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 09 September 2007 |
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Burma Economic Watch (statistics)
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Tables and Data (June 2001) |
| Date of publication: | | June 2001 |
| Description/subject: | | a) Burma's Economy at a Glance; b) Selected Social Indicators; c) Output and Growth; d) Foreign Trade and Payments; e) Government Spending and Taxation; f) Monetary and Banking Indicators;
g) Agricultural Output and Yields. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Burma Economic Watch |
| Format/size: | | View html version and/or download and open Word version (one footnote extra) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs/Tables%20and%20Data.doc |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
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Economy: general, analytical, statistical (SLORC/SPDC perspectives)
Individual Documents
| Title: | | New Rivalry Taking Shape? |
| Date of publication: | | August 2002 |
| Description/subject: | | "Rumors of a split within Burma�s ruling military council have long focused on the alleged enmity between Gen Maung Aye and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt. But now it appears that a new standoff has emerged, with even greater potential to jeopardize the junta�s unity.
According to sources in Tokyo and Rangoon, Sr-Gen Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), has begun to assert greater authority over the regime�s economic policies, pitting him against its economics czar, Gen David Abel.
Abel, who is a minister for the prime minister�s office, is highly regarded by Asian economic planners as a rare realist within Burma�s ruling clique. They see him as a key player in efforts to implement reforms needed to lift the country out of its economic morass. As such, he is a familiar face at regional gatherings aimed at enhancing Burma�s economic engagement with the rest of Asia..." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 10, No. 6, July-August 2002 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 17 August 2010 |
|
| Title: | | Brigadier General Zaw Tun on Burma's Economy |
| Date of publication: | | 07 July 2000 |
| Description/subject: | | [BurmaNet adds-This translation of an unpublished report was circulated on mailing lists on August 10, 2000. The original
speech was on July 7. The comments attributed to Gen. Zaw Tun indicate a frankness and grasp of economics not generally
displayed by a ranking member of the regime.]
"Brigadier General Zaw Tun, Deputy Minister for National Planning and Economic Development, delivered a speech at the
"Seminar on Myanmar Economy" held in the Padamya conference room of the Department of Management Studies, Institute of
Economics, on 7 July 2000. The seminar lasted over 3 hours from 9:00am to 12:15pm..."
He was subsequntly dismissed. See "A Reply to Zaw Tun" by Burma Economic Watch in this section at http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs/Reply_to_Zaw_Tun.htm |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | SPDC>ABSDF>BurmanetNews |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
| Title: | | Review of the Financial, Economic & Social Conditions of the Union of Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | June 1997 |
| Description/subject: | | Excerpts from a report by the Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Ministry of National Planning and Economic Development > "Burma Debate", Vol. IV, No. 2 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
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Agriculture, forestry and fisheries
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Agriculture
Individual Documents
| Title: | | FAO: Myanmar Agriculture page |
| Description/subject: | | Biotechnology Country Profiles,FAO-BioDeC (Biotechnologies in Developing Countries),Maps,Reports and Statistical Data and some publications from FAO |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | FAO |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 02 September 2010 |
|
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Agricultural economics
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Agricultural diversification and rural industrialization as a strategy for rural income growth and poverty reduction in Indochina and Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 1999 |
| Description/subject: | | 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. |
| Author/creator: | | Francesco Goletti |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | International Food Policy Research Institute |
| Format/size: | | pdf (160K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 22 April 2008 |
|
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Agricultural policies
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Agricultural Policies and Development of Myanmar’s Agricultural Sector : An Overview |
| Date of publication: | | June 2006 |
| Description/subject: | | Abstract
"This paper reviews the development of the agricultural sector in Myanmar after the transition
to an open economy in 1988 and analyzes the nature as well as the performance of the
agricultural sector. The avoidance of social unrest and the maintenance of control by the
regime are identified as the two key factors that have determined the nature of agricultural
policy after 1988. A major consequence of agricultural policy has been a clear difference in
development paths among the major crops. Production of crops that had a potential for
development showed sluggish growth due to policy constraints, whereas there has been a
self-sustaining increase in the output of those crops that have fallen outside the remit of
agricultural policy." |
| Author/creator: | | Koichi FUJITA, Ikuko OKAMOTO |
| Language: | | English (also available in Japanese(?) |
| Source/publisher: | | IDE Discussion Paper No. 63 |
| Format/size: | | pdf (344K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 16 July 2006 |
|
| Title: | | Transformation of the Rice Marketing System and Myanmar’s Transition to a Market Economy |
| Date of publication: | | December 2005 |
| Description/subject: | | 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 |
| Author/creator: | | Ikuko Okamoto |
| Language: | | English (available also in Japanese - ?) |
| Source/publisher: | | IDE Discussion Papaer No. 43 |
| Format/size: | | pdf (761K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 16 July 2006 |
|
| Title: | | Agricultural Marketing Reform and Rural Economy in Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 28 January 2004 |
| Description/subject: | | 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. |
| Author/creator: | | Ikuko Okamoto |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | IIDE ( Institute of Developing Economies) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (98KB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 08 January 2005 |
|
| Title: | | Investing in Destruction: The impact of development projects and economic policies |
| Date of publication: | | October 2003 |
| Description/subject: | | "The SPDC often portrays economic investment in Burma"At the outset, an olive branch was extended to the armed groups that have been fighting the government for decades. Following successful negotiations these groups returned to the legal fold. National unity was achieved. Peace now reigns in the entire country, providing an opportunity for long neglected border areas to develop quickly. The gap between urban and rural areas has narrowed. At the same time we have taken developmental initiatives to promote a better life for our peoples. We have worked tirelessly to provide better health care, education and housing for all our peoples"..." |
| Author/creator: | | R Sharples |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "Burma Isues" October 2003 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 28 December 2003 |
|
| Title: | | Power and Money: Economics and Conflict in Burma |
| Date of publication: | | 31 October 2000 |
| Description/subject: | | "...The regime's persistent military targeting of ethnic peoples has significantly compounded the negative effects of economic mismanagement. Although the ethnic conflict in Burma is widely considered a human rights problem, many of the regime's tactics are economic; in an attempt to starve them into submission, ethnic groups are routinely denied the ability to secure an income sufficient for survival...
Continued conflict and human rights abuses have severely weakened the economy, to the detriment of both ethnic peoples and the general population, and made economic reform a practical impossibility in Burma. Although gross human rights violations and cultural destruction seem not to bother Burma's government, perhaps the impossibility of sustaining the country on a continually deteriorating economic base will eventually force the ruling power to make concessions and respect the rights of Burma's ethnic nationalities." |
| Author/creator: | | Laura Frankel |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "Cultural Survival Quarterly" Issue 24.3 |
| Format/size: | | English |
| Date of entry/update: | | 17 August 2010 |
|
| Title: | | Victories of the State, the People and the Tatmadaw |
| Date of publication: | | September 1999 |
| Description/subject: | | The State Peace and Development Council is making energetic endeavors for ensuring the emergence of a new peaceful, modern and developed nation. The Government pays serious attention to the proportionate development of all States and Divisions. Accordingly, the education, health, economic, transportation and other affairs of all States and Divisions are developing. Emphasis has been paid on development of agriculture as our country is an agro-based one. The combined force of the State, the people and the Tatmadaw is collectively striving for the agricultural development. First published in "The New Light of Myanmar", 12 September 1999 |
| Author/creator: | | Tekkatho Tin Kha |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "Burma Debate", Vol... VI, No. 3 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
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Agriculture: general studies and research
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Agro-based Industries in Myanmar: The Long Road to Industrialisation |
| Date of publication: | | March 2006 |
| Description/subject: | | Abstract:
"The development objective of agro-based industry as one of policy instruments of
industrialization had been and still continues to pursue over forty years in Myanmar. Yet its
performance still stands stagnant, unable to transform the agrarian economy into agro-based
industrial economy. It is estimated that agro-based industry contributes about 3 percent of
GDP and 43 percent of industrial output value. The level of industrial formation in terms of
the ratio of the manufacturing sector to GDP is also stagnant around 8 to 9 percent.
This paper examines why Myanmar still could not have step up from the agrarian
economy to the agro-based industrial economy and attempts to provide a policy framework
how agro-industrial development is likely to occur.
The industrial ownership structure consists of large number of small scale, scattered
private enterprises and few number of large scale, capital intensive industries of state
economic enterprises (SEEs). The major problem of most agro-based industries is found to be
insufficient raw materials supply which could be ascribed to (i) the government's policy
conflict of self-sufficiency vs. export (ii) raw materials procurement policy of SEEs at lower
than market prices, and (iii) highly distorted exchange rate and macroeconomic instability
affecting the costs of imported goods for import-dependent agro-based industries. Unless the
correct course of actions are taken in dealing with these issues, the raw material supplies
would decline to a crisis point and agro-based industries could be forced into a dead end -- a
'raw material trap'. In the mill areas of SEEs industry, declining raw material supply and poor
performances of factories are often generating vicious circle. The paper points out how
vicious circle could be converted into virtuous circle by adopting market-driven contractual
linkage between farms and factories, and it calls for the management reforms of SEEs,
strengthening the capacity of private entrepreneurs, managing macroeconomic stability and
domestic capital formation. It also assesses the competitiveness and comparative advantages
of the agricultural commodities as the raw materials of agro-based industries in its integration
to the ASEAN Free Trade Area. The results indicate the gloomy prospect." |
| Author/creator: | | San Thein |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Institute of Developing Economies (VRF paper 414) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (548.11 K) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Search/result.html?cx=017478955533769994456%3A6h5i3wdxmue&cof=FORI... |
| Date of entry/update: | | 17 August 2010 |
|
| Title: | | Crop Choice, Farm Income, and Political Relations in Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | March 2005 |
| Description/subject: | | 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." |
| Author/creator: | | Takashi Kurosaki |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Hitotsubashi University Research Unit for Statistical Analysis in Social Sciences |
| Format/size: | | pdf (227K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 22 April 2008 |
|
| Title: | | Myanmar in Economic Transition : Constraints and Related Issues Affecting the Agriculture Sector |
| Date of publication: | | December 2004 |
| Description/subject: | | ABSTRACT:
The paper proceeds from the widely held assessment that "Myanmar’s economy is handicapped
by structural imbalance, instability, inefficient and imperfect markets, and distorted prices. The paper
delineates how this general state of affairs is clearly evident in the agricultural sector. It then identifies
the constraints retarding the development of agricultural growth. Among the factors blamed for blunting
the sector’s competitiveness are policies on: land, production, procurement and price, foreign exchange,
and subsidy. The excessive controls inherent in these policies, coupled with their erratic implementation,
are seen to create a general atmosphere of uncertainty and unpredictability in the economy and an
erosion of the government’s credibility.
Based on the negative impact of the existing policies and on the need to strengthen the
competitiveness of the agricultural sector and thus help it contribute to the sustainable development of
the country’s economy, the paper recommends alternative policy options. Foremost among these
alternatives suggested are the contracting out of land use rights; the shift of focus towards maximizing
farmers’ incomes and profits, rather than merely output; the liberalization of trade; unification of the
exchange rates; reduction of subsidy to, or privatization of state-operated enterprises (SOEs), and
allowing the entry of private enterprises to compete freely with SOEs." |
| Author/creator: | | Tin Soe |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development. Vol. 1, No. 2 |
| Format/size: | | pdf (139K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 July 2006 |
|
| Title: | | Rich Periphery, Poor Center: Myanmar's Rural Economy |
| Date of publication: | | March 2004 |
| Description/subject: | | Abstract:
"This paper looks at the case of Myanmar in order to investigate the behavior and welfare of
rural households in an economy under transition from a planned to a market system. Myanmar's
case is particularly interesting because of the country's unique attempt to preserve a policy of
intervention in land transactions and marketing institutions. A sample household survey that we
conducted in 2001, covering more than 500 households in eight villages with diverse
agro-ecological environments, revealed two paradoxes. First, income levels are higher in
villages far from the center than in villages located in regions under the tight control of the
central authorities. Second, farmers and villages that emphasize a paddy-based, irrigated
cropping system have lower farming incomes than those that do not. The reason for these
paradoxes are the distortions created by agricultural policies that restrict land use and the
marketing of agricultural produce. Because of these distortions, the transition to a market
economy in Myanmar since the late 1980s is only a partial one. The partial transition, which
initially led to an increase in output and income from agriculture, revealed its limit in the survey
period."...There are 2 versions of this paper. The one placed as the main URL, which also has a later publication date, seems to be longer, though it is about 30K smaller. |
| Author/creator: | | Ikuko Okamoto, Kyosuke Kurita, Takashi Kurosaki and Koichi Fujita |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | IDE ( Institute of Developing Economies) Discussion Paper No. 23 |
| Format/size: | | pdf (213K) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.econ.yale.edu/conference/neudc03/papers/1d-kurosaki.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 December 2003 |
|
| Title: | | Gateway to Land and Water Information: Myanmar national report |
| Date of publication: | | 15 January 2004 |
| Description/subject: | | Abstract: This FAO page is a gateway to information on Myanmar, national land resources, water resources, plant nutrition, global, regional, sustainable agriculture, agricultural land-use, agroecological zones, global agroecological zones, land-use planning, land cover, fertilizer consumption, fertilizer use, soils, GIS, remote |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | FAO |
| Format/size: | | html (63K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 17 August 2010 |
|
| Title: | | Case study on Land Degradation of Dry Zone of Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 15 December 2003 |
| Description/subject: | | "According to the current land utilization, about 11 million hectares or 16% of the total land area is under cultivation. Since a total of about 18 million hectares is estimated as suitable for agricultural purposes, some 7 million hectares of new land can be brought under crop cultivation and livestock farming. In bringing new land under agricultural use, it is important that the use of scientific techniques of land evaluation and land use planning be made mandatory to ensure the suitability and optimum use of land. In agricultural planning, land evaluation sets up a link between the basic survey of resources and the making of decisions on land use. As part of land use planning, the Land Resources Information System is vital to ensure that environmentally valuable lands are not encroached upon and that adverse environmental impacts can be avoided.
To ensure conservation of the resource base, the effective programmes should be designed to address the following constraints in agriculture;
* Low productivity due to agro climatic conditions;
* Low productivity due to water shortage;
* Low productivity due to soil degradation, irrigation induced water logging and salinity in dry zone...
A number of agricultural research stations and centres are presently carried out research on plant varieties, crop patterns, irrigation techniques, water storage techniques and soil analysis. The programmes and activities of those centres should be reviewed to ascertain their effectiveness and to assist in the formulation of new programmes that can address key productivity constraints...
CONTENTS:
1. Topography;
2. Climate;
3. Land Utilization;
4. Soils in Dry Zone;
5. Land cover;
6. Generation of Slope Maps, Erosion Susceptibility Maps;
7. Regenaration Mapping;
8. Land Degradation, Environmental Conditions And Socio-Economic Impacts;
9. Conclusions. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | FAO |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 17 August 2010 |
|
| Title: | | PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE HELD IN YANGON [2002] |
| Date of publication: | | 2002 |
| Description/subject: | | Links to separate composite pdf documents in English or Burmese on:
Agricultural Science;
Forestry Science;
Livestock and Fishery Science;
Journal of Agricultural. |
| Language: | | English, Burmese |
| Source/publisher: | | SPDC |
| Format/size: | | html, pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 05 December 2003 |
|
| Title: | | Moving Towards A New Research Paradigm for Myanmar: Community-based Natural Resource Management |
| Date of publication: | | 30 May 2001 |
| Description/subject: | | Paper for presentation to the International Conference on Sustaining Upland
Development in Southeast Asia: Issues, Tools and Institutions for Local Natural
Resource Management, 28-30 May 2001, ACEED, Makati City, Philippines. ABSTRACT: "
With agriculture as the prime mover of Myanmar’s national economic
development, agriculture intensification had affected the farm population
and the natural resource base. For years, agricultural researches had been
addressed through the traditional commodity and farming systems research
approach. However, to answer a wider problems of environmental and
resource degradation, new approaches that extend beyond the crop and the
farmers’ field have been employed. Hence, a new research paradigm
focusing on a more collective, inter-disciplinary, community-level resource
management was implemented in Myanmar.
A community-based natural resource management research was
established in three pilot sites in Myanmar, each representing a different
ecosystem. Initially, a team of researchers conducted a Participatory Rural
Appraisal (PRA) to gather information on the natural resource issues and
problems. Several research issues were identified and research studies were
conducted through farmers’ participatory trials and community activities.
Research results and experiences are presented." |
| Author/creator: | | Arnulfo G. Garcia, Aye Swe & Yolanda T. Garcia |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | SEARCA |
| Format/size: | | PDF (41K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
| Title: | | Agricultural market information service, Union of Myanmar (AG: TCP/MYA/8821) |
| Date of publication: | | June 1999 |
| Description/subject: | | Consultancy Mission Report prepared for the Government of the Union of Myanmar by Jan Jansonius, FAO Consultant in Agricultural Market Information Service, Planning and Development (Lead Consultant) FAO.
"Myanmar contains within its borders a wide range of agro-ecological zones. Rainfall varies from 5000 mm. in the Southern Coastal areas to about 800 mm. in the Central Dry Zone, altitude ranges from sea level to over 5000 meter and latitude from 10 to 29 degrees latitude.
There is, consequently, a wide variety of crops, including rice, maize and wheat, many kinds of beans and peas, oilseeds, potato, onion and garlic, many types of temperate
and tropical fruits and vegetables, spices and industrial crops like sugarcane, cotton, rubber, cashew and oil palm.
Religion plays a very important role in life and in the economy, as large tracts of land are given over to pagodas, monasteries and meditation centers and flower cultivation
(for temple offerings) occupies considerable agricultural land..." Bangkok, June 1999. |
| Author/creator: | | Jan Jansonius |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | FAO |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
| Title: | | Upland Agriculture, Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 1999 |
| Description/subject: | | "Myanmar is the largest Asian mainland country excluding India and China. Its land area is 676 577 sq. km
divided into seven states and seven divisions. The population is estimated at 46 million, of whom 75% live in
rural areas. Agriculture dominates the economy constituting 36% of the GDP in 1998 and 35% of export
earnings. There is great potential for expansion of arable land. In 1998 only 12 million of the available 18 million
hectares were cultivated. Rice, beans, pulses and sugar cane are the principal crops. Rice alone accounts for
25% of the GDP in Myanmar. The per capita GDP is 220 USD (in 1995) and makes Myanmar one of the Least
Developed Countries. But the country has substantial human resources and economic potential including
underdeveloped arable lands, resources to expand irrigation and energy supply capacity as well as natural gas,
marine resources and mineral wealth...Of all the GMS countries Myanmar has the greatest potential to expand its agricultural production area. There is
also great potential for increasing exports of field and horticultural crops. The policy framework encourages
foreign investment in the sector and promotes export-driven agricultural sector growth. This creates an enabling
environment for diversifying and intensifying agricultural production, which is of benefit to the remote watershed
development initiatives of concern to us. Major issues to consider in planning an upland development initiative
relate to access to support services in the agricultural as well as social sectors. Access to production inputs
(seed, fertilisers, livestock, machinery, etc.), and rural services such as credit, markets and agricultural
extension vary and have a significant impact on the development potential of a community..." |
| Author/creator: | | Eija Pehu |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Regional Environmental Technical Assistance 5771 Poverty Reduction & Environmental Management in Remote Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Watersheds Project (Phase I). |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
| Title: | | Tea Production On the Periphery of the British Empire |
| Date of publication: | | September 1991 |
| Description/subject: | | The political economy of Shan tea under British colonial rule.
"...Tawngpeng State, the major tea-producing area in the Federated Shan States, contained an area of 938 square miles. As of
1939 the population of Tawngpeng was 59,398 and it had a revenue of Rs. 645,634. The State was divided into 16 circles
which corresponded as closely as possible to clan-divisions. Geographic features were characterised by hills ranging from five
to seven thousand feet in height interspersed with valleys that averaged approximately ten miles in length and from a few
hundred yards to a few miles in width. Maurice Collis, a former Burma civil servant, noted that upon approaching Namhsan, the
capital of Tawngpeng which lies at the centre of the State at a height of six thousand feet, 'there is a vale and in the midst, ten
miles away, is a ridge, on one end of which stands the town of Nam Hsan with the palace over it on a circular hill....The vale is one vast tea garden'. On the lower levels of the hillsides, Palaungs and Shans grow tea whilst higher up Kachins and Lisus
practice shifting agriculture. Shans predominate in the valleys where rice is the staple crop..." |
| Author/creator: | | Robert Maule Department of History, University of Toronto |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Thai-Yunnan Project Newsletter No. 14, September 1991 |
| Alternate URLs: | | ftp://coombs.anu.edu.au/coombspapers/coombsarchives/thai-yunnan-project/thai-yunnan-newsletter/thai-yunnan-nwsltr-14.txt">ftp://coombs.anu.edu.au/coombspapers/coombsarchives/thai-yunnan-project/thai-yunnan-newsletter/thai...
The directory of the Thai-Yunnan Project Newsletters is on ftp://coombs.anu.edu.au/coombspapers/coombsarchives/thai-yunnan-project/thai-yunnan-newsletter/ |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
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Crop procurement policies
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Myanmar-- Policies for Sustaining Economic Reform |
| Date of publication: | | 16 October 1995 |
| Description/subject: | | Important report, which criticises the SLORC's economic and social policies, including paddy procurement policies."A significant program of economic reforms has been instituted in Myanmar since the State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC) assumed power in late-1988. This shift in economic policies followed almost a quarter century of economic decline
during which the prevalent development paradigm was termed " the Burmese way of socialism " . Under that model, economic
development was to be achieved through rapid industrialization and self sufficiency, and led by the State Enterprise (SE) sector.
Economic performance under that policy regime was poor. During 1962-77, real GDP growth barely kept up with population
expansion and, as a result, living standards stagnated. Investment levels remained low, agricultural output grew slowly, and the
economy grew more inward looking. The initial attempts at economic reform in the mid-1970s succeeded at first but could not be
sustained due to macroeconomic and structural factors, which were reflected in widening budget and current account deficits,
rising inflation, and stagnant agricultural output and exports. Faced with these serious external and internal imbalances in the
early-1980s the Government's stabilization attempts relied on tightening import controls, cutting public investment, and
demonetization but were ineffective in reversing the economic decline. Following the anti-government demonstrations of 1988,
the SLORC assumed power and announced that many key aspects of the earlier model would be abandoned in its economic
reform program. With over seven years having elapsed since those reforms were initiated, it is an opportune time to take stock.
Specifically, this report examines the impacts of the policy changes, with a view to identifying the areas in which progress has
been made, as well as the gaps that still remain in the program. This analysis would then underpin the report's
recommendations concernng areas in which additional reforms are required and how these measures should be phased.
Keywords: Economic growth; Economic reform; Economic stabilization; Government role; Policy making |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | World Bank |
| Format/size: | | Text (456K)or PDF (8416K) Page. |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/1995/10/16/000009265_3961019103423/Re...
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDSServlet?pcont=details&eid=000009265_3961019103423 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
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Inputs (fertilisers, pesticides etc.)
Individual Documents
| Title: | | CURRENT STATUS OF PESTICIDES RESIDUE ANALYSIS OF FOOD IN RELATION WITH FOOD SAFETY |
| Date of publication: | | 30 January 2002 |
| Description/subject: | | FAO/WHO Global Forum of Food Safety Regulators
Marrakech, Morocco, 28 - 30 January 2002
"Being a developing agricultural country at least in a foreseeable future, Myanmar is inevitable the use of pesticides in agriculture food production although other parallel efforts of non-chemical nature are being endeavoured in pest control strategies. Although there is a low pesticide consumption rate in Mayanmar, the present data indicates the urgent need of a cautious control in the use through coordination and cooperation of various government agencies and the people themselves. In addition, agricultural pesticides use in the country is expected to be increased with the abrupt change of cropping pattern for high rice production and extension of various crops grown areas.
The use of agro-chemical on food crops is estimated about 80% of the total. At that time the use of organo-chlorine insecticides (oc's) is decreasing but the percentage of those pesticides is total (about 10%) is still high. The use of pyrethroids is increasing..." |
| Author/creator: | | Mya Thwin, Thet Thet Mar |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | FAO, WHO |
| Format/size: | | html,pdf (27.14 KB) |
| Alternate URLs: | | ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/004/ab429e.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
|
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Land use
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Control of Land and Life in Burma. |
| Date of publication: | | April 2001 |
| Description/subject: | | Abstract: The most significant land problems in Burma remain those associated with landlessness, rural poverty, inequality of access to resources, and a military regime that denies citizen rights and is determined to rule by force and not by law. A framework to ensure the sustainable development of land is needed to address social, legal, economic and technical dimensions of land management. This framework can only be created and implemented within and by a truly democratic nation. Keywords: Agriculture and state -- Burma; Land use, Rural -- Burma; Land use, Rural -- Government policy -- Burma; Agricultural policy -- Burma; Land administration -- Burma. |
| Author/creator: | | Nancy Hudson-Rodd, Myo Nyunt |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Land Tenure Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison |
| Format/size: | | PDF (431K) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/22009 |
| Date of entry/update: | | 01 September 2010 |
|
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Pests
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Rats and Kyats: Bamboo Flowering Causes a Hunger Belt in Chin State, Burma |
| Date of publication: | | 30 July 2008 |
| Description/subject: | | "The bamboo species Melocanna baccifera blossoms approximately every 48 years. This type of bamboo grows throughout a large area of Northeast India (primarily in Mizoram and Manipur States) as well as regions of Burma (mainly Chin State) and Bangladesh (Hill Tracts.) It densely covers valleys and hillsides in the rugged terrain of the region. The blossoming bamboo produces fruit, then dies off. During the fruiting stage of the cycle, forest rats feed on the bamboo fruits/seeds. Once the population of rats has stripped the forest of bamboo fruit/seeds, rat swarms invade farms and villages to devour crops and stored rice. This phenomenon, known as the Mautam, has historically resulted in mass starvation among indigenous peoples of the region where Melocanna baccifera bamboo grows. While the current Mautam bamboo/rat cycle as it affects Northeast India has been covered by journalists, and food aid is being provided there and in the Bangladesh Hill Tracts, the Mautam crisis across the borders in Burma is less well known. In Burma's Chin State, local groups are attempting to provide aid, but there is not yet a large scale organized relief effort in the Mautam affected areas.
The Project Maje resource report, "Rats and Kyats" is intended for journalists, aid workers and other researchers who may become interested in the bamboo/rat cycle as it affects Burma. News stories and documents are reproduced or linked in it, and there is also a links list of background information on the bamboo/rat cycle as it affects Mizoram, Manipur and Bangladesh." |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Project Maje |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 30 July 2008 |
|
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Plantations
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Rubber plantations
Individual Documents
| Title: | | White Gold Rush |
| Date of publication: | | June 2010 |
| Description/subject: | | The junta is working closely with China to push rubber production in northern Burma, but small-scale farmers are getting bounced around so the rich can tap the market...
"Shwe pyu—white gold—is the name for unprocessed rubber in Burma, and the regime is handing out land concessions for rubber production that are as valuable as gold to wealthy, well-connected businessmen. But for small-scale farmers in northern Burma, shwe pyu is as far beyond their reach as gold in the remote Hukawng Valley..." |
| Author/creator: | | Zao Noam |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 18, No. 6 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 29 August 2010 |
|
| Title: | | "Undercurrents" Issue 3 |
| Date of publication: | | April 2009 |
| Description/subject: | | this issue focuses on how the expanding influence of Chinese interests in the Golden Triangle region, from rubber plantations to wildlife trading, is bringing rapid destructive changes to local communities. There are also articles on opium cultivation, mining operations, the mainstream Mekong dams in China, and unprecedented flooding downstream.....
Mekong Biodiversity Up for Sale:
A new hub of wildlife trade and a network of direct buyers from China is hastening the pace of species loss...
Rubber Mania:
Scrambling to supply China, can ordinary farmers benefit?...
Drug Country:
Another opium season in eastern Shan State sees increased cultivation, mulitple cropping and a new form of an old drug...
Construction Steams Ahead:
A photo essay from the Nouzhadu Dam, one of the eight planned on the mainstream Mekong in China...
Digging for Riches:
An update on mining operations in eastern Shan State...
Washed Out:
Unprecedented flooding wreaks havoc in the Golden Triangle. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Lahu National Development Organization (LNDO) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (3.6MB) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs07/undercurrentsissue3.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 11 April 2009 |
|
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Pulses
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Cultivating Inequality (Review of Ikuko Okamoto's "Economic Disparity in Rural Myanmar" ) |
| Date of publication: | | July 2008 |
| Description/subject: | | A Japanese study illustrates how farmers created an agricultural market in spite of the military government’s bureaucrats...
"Economic Disparity in Rural Myanmar" by Ikuko Okamoto. National University of Singapore Press, 2008...
"THE devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis and spiraling global food prices have placed even more pressure on the agricultural sector of Burma, once the world’s largest rice exporter and potentially one of Asia’s most prodigious producers of agricultural staples.
The majority of the Burmese labor pool is in farming, and rice production remains not just a national priority but an obsession of the junta. Successive regimes have attempted a number of initiatives to increase agricultural production, first through disastrous socialist policies, and since 1988 with piecemeal open market reforms which have continued to stifle the true promise of the agricultural sector.
Ikuko Okamoto’s book looks at one success story in this sad litany of state failure. Economic Disparity in Rural Myanmar is an academic analysis of the rapid increase in production of pulses in one township close to Rangoon. A pulse is a bean, in this case one called pedishwewar, or golden green gram, otherwise known as the mung bean.
It is a close study of the relationship between Burmese farm laborers, rural traders, tractor dealers, some available land, rice paddy crops and a fortuitous gap in the global rice market that produced a pulse market where before there was none. The sting is that most of the people on the lower rungs—the farmer-laborers—profited least from their labors.
Pulses brought in a total of 3.6 billion kyat (US $3 million) in 2007, mainly due to India, which reduced pulse cultivation, allowing farmers and traders in Burma to fill the demand.
Okamoto, a researcher at Japan’s Institute for Developing Economies, spent several years studying production techniques in Thongwa Township, east of Rangoon and home to 64 villages and about 150,000 people.
In this well-designed and detailed study, she looks at how the dramatic growth in green gram production produced an export success..." |
| Author/creator: | | David Scott Mathieson |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 16, No. 7 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 15 July 2008 |
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Rural Labour issues
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Labor Contracts, Incentives, and Food Security in Rural Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | January 2006 |
| Description/subject: | | Abstract:
"This paper develops an agency model of contract choice in the hiring of labor and then uses the model to estimate the determinants of contract choice in rural Myanmar. As a salient feature relevant for the agricultural sector in a low income country such as Myanmar, the agency model incorporates considerations of food security and incentive effects. It is shown that when, possibly due to poverty, food considerations are important for employees, employers will prefer a labor contract with wages paid in kind (food) to one with wages paid in cash. At the same time, when output is responsive to workers' effort and labor monitoring is costly, employers will prefer a contract with piecerate
wages to one with hourly wages. The case of sharecropping can be understood as a combination of the two: a labor contract with piecerate
wages paid in kind. The predictions of the theoretical model are tested using a crosssection
dataset collected in rural Myanmar through a sample household survey which was conducted in 2001 and covers diverse agroecological
environments. The estimation results are consistent with the theoretical predictions: wages are more likely to be paid in kind when the share of staple food in workers' budget is higher and the farmland on which they produce food themselves is smaller; piecerate
wages are more likely to be adopted when work effort is more difficult to monitor and the farming operation requires quick completion...
JEL classification codes: J33, Q12, O12.
Keywords: contract, incentive, selection, food security, Myanmar. |
| Author/creator: | | Takashi Kurosaki |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Hitotsubashi University Research Unit for Statistical Analysis in Social Sciences |
| Format/size: | | pdf (1.6MB) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 22 April 2008 |
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Sustainable agriculture
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategies for the Least Developed Countries of the Asia-Pacific Region: Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | 1995 |
| Description/subject: | | Conclusion and recommendations: Myanmar, like any other developing country, needs to have sectoral policies, objectives and strategies in agriculture, forestry and fisheries which are based on the present socio-economic, political and administrative situation. The three sectors should be monitored, supervised, evaluated and revised as necessary. The ministries concerned should issue documents that formalize the commitment and intent of the government in ensuring sustainable development of the resources for economic and environmental purposes. Surveys and studies which have not been previously or properly carried out (e.g., water demand in industries, soil sedimentation and rehabilitation) should now be undertaken systematically as part of short- and long-term plans; the results should be officially documented and published. With regard to environmental affairs in Myanmar, the concept is: "Everything possible is being done to prevent environmental degradation and make it a heritage that future generations can enjoy". Myanmar, although included among the least developed countries, is well endowed with natural resources for agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Modern technology and capital investment, coupled with a well-prepared plan and proper management, will lead to sustainable utilization of those resources. Priority should be given to self-sufficiency in food in order to contain domestic prices. When any surplus is exported, proper processing, packaging, storage and transportation are prerequisites to meeting international market requirements and standards. The suggested policies in this report, which have been discussed in detail to bring about better comprehension and serious consideration, could be used as a base to modify and improve and, if found feasible, officially adopted. All government policies on the three sectors must be well-defined, officially and legally documented, published and have theirnotification issued by the government. 74 KB |
| Author/creator: | | U Myint Thein, Director-General (Retd), Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Yangon) |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | UNESCAP |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
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Fisheries
Individual Documents
| Title: | | Issues Affecting the Movement of Rural Labour in Myanmar: Rakhine Case Study |
| Date of publication: | | July 2009 |
| Description/subject: | | Abstract
"This paper presents issues affecting the movement of rural labour in Myanmar, by examining the
background, purpose and earned income of labourers migrating to fishing villages in southern
Rakhine. A broad range of socioeconomic classes, from poor to rich, farmers to fishermen, is
migrating from broader areas to specific labour-intensive fishing subsectors, such as anchovy fishing.
These labourers are a mixed group of people whose motives lie either in supplementing their
household income or accumulating capital for further expansion of their economic activities. The
concentration of migrating labourers with different objectives in this particular unstable, unskilled
employment opportunity suggests an insufficiently developed domestic labour market in rural
Myanmar. There is a pressing need to create stable labour-intensive industries to meet this demand." |
| Author/creator: | | Ikuko Okamoto |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPING ECONOMIES (IDE), JETRO Discussion Paper 206 |
| Format/size: | | pdf (289K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 12 September 2009 |
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| Title: | | The Shrimp Export Boom and Small-Scale Fishermen in Myanmar |
| Date of publication: | | March 2008 |
| Description/subject: | | ABSTRACT:
"This paper examines the impact of the recent shrimp export boom in Myanmar on the economic state of small-scale fishermen. Results indicate that there has been an active increase in shrimp fishing stimulated by expanding export demand. With this, the income of shrimp fishermen has increased dramatically in the past 10 years. However, future prospects appear gloomy due to the possibility of over exploitation of shrimp resources...
Keywords: Fishery, Resources, Export
JEL classification: N5, Q2 |
| Author/creator: | | Ikuko Okamoto |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Institute of Developing Economies (IDE Discussion Paper 135) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (248 KB) |
| Alternate URLs: | | http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Dp/pdf/135.pdf |
| Date of entry/update: | | 01 September 2010 |
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| Title: | | Trends of Development of Myanmar Fisheries: With References to Japanese Experiences |
| Date of publication: | | February 2008 |
| Description/subject: | | "Judging by the increase in landing volume, Myanmar fisheries is developing fast. Due to
the amount of export earning fisheries sector have its role as one of the main contributors to
the national GDP. Thus fisheries are recognized as an important economic sector for the
country. The fisheries landing is significantly increasing in recent years. It is more than three
times larger than that of 1990s.
In 1990-91 the earning form fisheries export was only US$ 13 million. It has been
significantly increased in 10 years to US$ 218 million in 2000-2001 and then US$ 250
million in 2001-2002. Thereby fisheries export is promoted and the landings are given priority
for exporting. Due to the lack of proper reporting and recording system, it is difficult to
clarify the actual domestic utilization of fisheries products in terms of food or non food..." |
| Author/creator: | | Khin Maung Soe |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | Institute of Developing Economies (VRF paper 433) |
| Format/size: | | pdf (599K) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 22 April 2008 |
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| Title: | | Myanmar Aquaculture and Inland Fisheries |
| Date of publication: | | 2003 |
| Description/subject: | | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...
BACKGROUND TO THE MISSION:
International mission team members;
Myanmar fisheries sector...
MYANMAR - MISSION REPORT ON INLAND AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES:
Myanmar - aquaculture and inland fisheries:
Inland fisheries and aquaculture resources;
The role of inland fisheries and aquaculture in people's livelihoods in Myanmar;
Participation in capture fisheries;
Gender aspects;
Securing food;
Fish consumption;
Identifying the poor;
Understanding peoples livelihoods...
Leasable fisheries;
Auction process, duration of lease and renewal;
Fishery management;
Thaung Tha Man - Mandalay;
Mandalay town;
South Mandalay;
Inle Lake;
Open fisheries and rice field resources:
Enhancement of freshwater leasable fisheries/culture-based fisheries;
Reservoirs;
Freshwater aquaculture:
Land use for aquaculture;
Rice-fish culture;
Pond aquaculture;
Freshwater species cultured in Myanmar;
Stocking and harvesting;
Government hatcheries;
Private hatcheries;
Feeds and feeding...
Marketing:
Inle Lake fishery and marketing;
Institutions and their roles;
The role of the Department of Fisheries (DoF);
The role of Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF)...
Inland fisheries and aquaculture: conclusions and recommendations;
Information and statistics and appropriate valuation of fisheries resources;
Aquaculture and aquatic resources in rural development;
Institutions, communications and networking;
Research...
MYANMAR - MISSION REPORT ON COASTAL AQUACULTURE:
Myanmar - coastal aquaculture;
Coastal aquaculture in Myanmar;
Coastal habitats and resources;
Brief history and status of coastal aquaculture...
Sub-sector analysis:
Shrimp farming;
Crab farming;
Marine and brackishwater fish culture (groupers and seabass);
Other species;
Role of coastal aquaculture in people's livelihoods in Myanmar...
Gender:
Role of small-holder aquaculture?
Income diversification...
Resources management and environmental issues:
Coastal mangrove forests;
Coral reef resource systems;
Other environmental management issues for aquaculture...
Government policies, plans and institutions:
Institutions;
Land use planning and coastal management;
Business investment in coastal aquaculture;
Market trends and implications...
Coastal aquaculture: conclusions and recommendations:
Coastal communities;
Environmental issues and resource sustainability;
Aquaculture technology;
Institutional support and capacity building;
Aquatic animal disease control and health management;
Business investment in coastal aquaculture;
Market trends and implications;
Coastal fisheries resources;
Entry points for support in coastal aquaculture...
ANNEX 1: MISSION ITINERARY;
ANNEX 2: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE MYANMAR LEASABLE FISHERIES;
ANNEX 3: LIST OF PERSONS MET;
ANNEX 4: READING AND REFERENCES. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | FAO |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Alternate URLs: | | ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/004/ad497e |
| Date of entry/update: | | 01 September 2010 |
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| Title: | | What's Wrong in Ranong |
| Date of publication: | | February 2001 |
| Description/subject: | | Ranong is the second largest Burmese community in Thailand, where many migrants work in the fishing and its related industries. However, the community has been hit by an economic downturn in part caused by the loss of fishing concessions from Burma. |
| Author/creator: | | John S. Moncrief/Ranong, Thailand and Kawthaung, Burma |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | "The Irrawaddy", Vol. 9. No. 2 |
| Format/size: | | html |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
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| Title: | | Support to Special Plan for Prawn and Shrimp Farming, Myanmar. |
| Date of publication: | | 1999 |
| Description/subject: | | DEVELOPMENT PLANS, FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT, FOREIGN
INVESTMENT, JOINT VENTURES, MARKETS, MYANMAR, PRAWNS AND
SHRIMPS, PRODUCTION ECONOMICS, PROFITABILITY, SHELLFISH
CULTURE, TAXES. Investment, finance and credit.
Development economics and policies. Bangkok 1998
Aquaculture production |
| Author/creator: | | Basir Kunhimohamed, A. |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | FAO |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
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| Title: | | Reformulation and Strengthening of Fisheries Statistics System |
| Date of publication: | | 1998 |
| Description/subject: | | An account is given of activities implemented during the Technical Cooperation Programme project 'Reformulation and strengthening of fisheries statistics system' in Myanmar which included the following: 1) computer training for staff; 2) species guide for field enumerators and for training purposes; 3) frame survey of Yangon Division; 4)
data collection and catch analysis on industrial fisheries (trawlers); 5) training on grouping and ranking programme; 6) species coding list for industrial landing forms; 7) a study tour to Mee Pya and Thi La War fishing villages; 8) a visit to Marine Resources Centre and Fish Landing Site; 9) assistance to national gear technologist and aquaculturist; 10) training on 'The collection of catch and effort
statistics, and basic sampling theory'; and, 11) workshop on
Fisheries Resources Management.
CATCH COMPOSITION, DATA ANALYSIS, DATA COLLECTION, DATA
PROCESSING, FISHERY DATA, MARINE FISHERIES, STATISTICAL METHODS. Fisheries production, Mathematical and statistical methods. Bangkok 1997 |
| Author/creator: | | Dr Sann Aung (FAO National Expert/Fisheries Statistician) |
| Language: | | English |
| Source/publisher: | | FAO (TCP/MYA/4553) |
| Date of entry/update: | | 03 June 2003 |
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