Myanmar’s agricultural sector is a key pillar of the economy and provides employment to about 53 per cent of the labor force. Additionally, it is a source of livelihood for about 70 per cent of the rural population.

With abundant land and water resources, agriculture is an area where Myanmar has a significant advantage.

Farmers in rural areas of Myanmar practice both agriculture and livestock breeding. However, they have not achieved the level of socioeconomic development they should due to lack of reliable research on the market, technology, capital, and inputs.

It has been found that farmers have enough farmland for agriculture, but they are facing obstacles when it comes to rearing livestock as there are limitations on livestock breeding on farmland under the law.

Meanwhile, lack of knowledge about agriculture, especially in use of pesticides, can lead to produce being rejected in the international market due to high levels of chemical residue. Agricultural experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries are conducting training for villagers and raising awareness about agricultural inputs. But, lack of staff and budget constraints have limited the progress of the work undertaken by the Ministry.

To improve the socioeconomic conditions of our farmers, we need to encourage research on marketable crops in the regions, while providing assistance for mass production of crops for export.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation has encouraged farmers to use the good agricultural practices (GAP) protocol in cultivating staple and export crops, and good farming practices for animal breeding, in an effort to improve the farmers’ livelihoods and develop Myanmar’s agriculture sector, which will contribute to economic growth.

To achieve quick results in the sector, the Ministry is focusing on pragmatic approaches such as research on soil, seeds and inputs, distribution of agricultural inputs, provision of agricultural machinery to farmers, loans to farmers, and supply of water for irrigation.

Boosting the productivity of farmers through sustainable farming to produce safe and quality products is required. Quality agricultural inputs will elevate industry productivity and quality, raising incomes and creating jobs along the value chain.

But, research and development are inseparable. The situation today demands market research.
We believe that current efforts for short-term and long-term farmer-centric projects, which include ensuring local and foreign markets for agricultural and livestock, would bear fruit, and would contribute to the socioeconomic development of our farmers.

GNLM