MYANMAR’S agricultural exports crossed US$2.5 billion in the period from 1 October to 21 June in the current fiscal year, an increase of $268.4 million from $2.24 billion recorded in the corresponding period of the 2017-2018FY, according to figures released by the Ministry of Commerce.
The agriculture industry has performed the best along with the natural gas sector in terms of exports. The chief items of export in the agricultural sector are rice and broken rice, pulses, corn, and rubber. Myanmar also ships fruits and vegetables, sesame, dried tea leaves, sugar, and other agro products to other countries.
The country mainly exports agro products to China, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. However, the export market remains uncertain with unsteady global demand.
Myanmar is facing slower market information access, which sometimes poses obstacles in the market. Moreover, the country has poor logistics and warehouse infrastructure, which affects the quality of fruits, said an official from the Myanmar Fruit, Flower and Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association (MFVP).
U Ye Min Aung, the president of the Myanmar Rice Federation, said that quality control and food safety are key to export promotion. Therefore, good agriculture practices are needed to be fostered and developed, he said.
In addition, the country requires an export-specific plan for each agro product as they are currently being sent to external markets based on supply and demand. A contract farming system which involves the regional and state agriculture departments, exporters, traders, and some grower groups is required in order to meet the production target, said an official from the Agriculture Department.
Myanmar’s agricultural exports have not seen a remarkable increase in terms of trade value owing to China’s tight confiscation on some agro products, including rice, since the second week of October.
The Commerce Ministry has been working to help farmers deal with challenges such as high input costs, procurement of pedigree seeds, high cultivation costs, and erratic weather conditions. — Ko Htet (Translated by Ei Myat Mon)
