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Agriculture and Food Security in Myanmar. Gary C. Jahn Agriculture Development Officer USAID. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. Sources.
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Agriculture and Food Securityin Myanmar Gary C. Jahn Agriculture Development Officer USAID The contents do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Sources • Michigan State University / MDRI Agriculture and Food Security Diagnostic for Myanmar (USAID 2013) • USAID 2013 Land Tenure and Property Rights Assessment of Myanmar • ASH Center Studies 2009-2012 • ADB Agriculture Sector Assessment, Myanmar 2012-2014 • Discussion Paper No. 63. Agricultural Policies and Development of Myanmar’s Agriculture Sector (IDE 2006)
Asia Source: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/asia/_derived/index.htm_txt_map-of-asia.gif
Potential of Myanmar for Agriculture High Potential • Exceptional resources (water, land, location, climate) • Water: 10 times as much per capita as China and India; 2 times as much as Vietnam, Thailand and Bangladesh • Land: 14 million acres virgin and fallow; 83 million acres of forest • Strategic location: near major regional markets • Diverse ecosystems diversification potential • Relatively low population pressure • High potential for increased land use
Population Densities Source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934666.html
How big is Myanmar? Source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934666.html
Percentage of land used for agriculture by each country Source: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
So how does Myanmar compare to the region? • GDP per capita? • Farm income? • % in poverty? • Food security: affordability, availability, safety? • Malnutrition?
Status of Myanmar in Region Source: CIA World Factbook - accurate as of January 1, 2012 http://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=67
Food Security in Region Malaysia Vietnam India Myanmar Thailand Bangladesh Sri Lanka Pakistan Cambodia Nepal
Malnutrition: Deaths per 100,000 Source: WHO, World Bank, UNESCO, CIA , country databases for global health and causes of death. http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/malnutrition/by-country/
Lowest % of agricultural products imported (2010) Source: http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx; http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/200908302449/Related-news-from-Saudi/saudi-arabia-food-a-agricultural-imports-to-grow-by-25-in-2009.html
Highest % of agricultural products imported (2010) Source: http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx; http://www.caribbean360.com/index.php/news/barbados_news/182495.html; http://www.presstv.ir/detail/37413.html
Poverty & food security indicators In Southeast Asia, Myanmar has: • Lowest GDP per capita, • Low food affordability and availability • High malnutrition, • Lowest farm incomes • High import of agricultural products
Historical Agricultural Performance • Example: rice & bean exports http://www.myspace.com/123945320/photos/11106187#%7B%22ImageId%22%3A11106187%7D
World’s Top Rice Exporters 1961 Source: http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx
World’s Top Rice Exporters Today Source: http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx
World’s Top Bean Exporters Today Source: http://faostat.fao.org/site/342/default.aspx
Rice production (millions of tons) ~8 million ha paddy ~5 million ha paddy
Why did beans out-perform rice in Myanmar? Fujita & Okamoto (2006) found: • After 1988, sluggish growth in all crops covered by policy constraints • But a self-sustaining increase in output of crops outside the remit of agricultural policy • Today pulses and beans are Myanmar’s largest export item
What were these policies? In the socialist period: • Farmers required to sell rice to government at below market prices • A system of rationing cheap rice to consumers through shops and cooperatives • Subsidized transport for rice – lowering price in boader areas • Government monopoly on rice exports
What was the result? • Link between supply & demand broken • Domestic rice prices & farm income kept artificially low • Farmers had no incentive (or means) to increase production; • Remote areas lacked incentive to produce cheap rice • No market driven demand for improved technology
What about beans? • No compulsory sales to government at below market price. • No rationing • No government export monopoly • Bean prices rose in response to increased demand inside AND outside Myanmar • Production rose in response to increase demand for beans; demand for technology
Why is agricultural productivity low? • Poor policies • Poor water control • High transport and transaction costs • Conflict • Land access, ownership, use • Limited budgets for key supporting ministries • Structure of agricultural support institutions • Traders well-organized, farmers not • Weak data
Let’s discuss current agricultural policies and how they are affecting agricultural development and food security.