This report is a product of the World Bank’s monitoring efforts in Myanmar and examines the country’s agricultural sector performance and food security status. The report assesses the performance of the agricultural sector and food security in Myanmar, focusing on developments in main crops (cereals and legumes) and the livestock subsector, along with factors and risks affecting farm households’ productivity. It also analyzes variations and price trends along the value chain, considering factors influencing production costs and constraints on accessing markets, such as conflict and transport disruptions. Additionally, it examines food trade trends, including the export and import flows of key commodities such as rice, legumes, and palm oil. The report also assesses local food security dynamics in conflict-affected communities and communities traditionally dependent on non-timber forest products (NTFP). The report draws from primary and secondary data sources. A series of farmer phone surveys that reached up to 1,200 rural farm households is the primary data source, with survey rounds spanning the last four years. The report provides an update on Myanmar’s agricultural sector and food security from July 2023 to June 2024. It builds upon previous monitoring reports released in June 2022 and June 2023 and provides essential insights for stakeholders addressing these pressing issues. The report also draws from key informant interviews with food vendors, fertilizer dealers, and rice millers; desk reviews of secondary data from agricultural news, official data, and policy documents on agriculture and food security, and market prices from various sources. Quantitative evidence from the survey represents the status of farm households in rural areas around food security, food access, dietary diversity, shocks and coping mechanisms, credit and indebtedness, farming costs, and difficulties. The annex presents further details on the methodology.
Authors
- Citation
- “ World Bank . 2024 . Myanmar - Agricultural Resilience Amid Deepening Food Insecurity: Agriculture and Food Security Monitoring Report, June 2024 . © Washington, DC: World Bank . http://hdl.handle.net/10986/42108 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO . ”
- Collection(s)
- Other Agriculture Study
- Identifier externaldocumentum
- 34381348
- Identifier internaldocumentum
- 34381348
- Pages
- 77
- Published in
- United States of America
- Region country
- Myanmar
- Report
- 193259
- Rights
- CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO
- Rights Holder
- World Bank
- Rights URI
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/igo
- UNIT
- Agriculture and Food PG EAP (SEAAG)
- URI
- https://hdl.handle.net/10986/42108
- date disclosure
- 2024-08-29
- region administrative
- East Asia and Pacific
Files
Table of Contents
- CONTENTS 3
- ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 6
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 7
- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9
- INTRODUCTION 19
- ECONOMIC OVERVIEW 20
- FOOD SECURITY 23
- Concerns around food insecurity in Myanmar are high aggravated by conflict and internal displacements. 23
- Conflict transport disruptions and kyat depreciation are driving elevated food inflation and impacting food costs especially in insecure and urban areas. 25
- Challenges in access to food have translated into a shrinking array of food consumed and poorer dietary diversity. 29
- Box 1 Rising food insecurity in conflict-affected areas of rural Myanmar 33
- Protracted shocks are exhausting livelihoods forcing households to resort to negative coping strategies and explore alternative income sources. 33
- Box 2 The importance of NTFPs in Myanmar 38
- PRODUCTION 40
- Notwithstanding the protracted shocks and uncertainties the agriculture sector has proved to be resilient at the aggregate level. 40
- At the household level however production shocks and concerns around food availability are pushing more farmers to withhold their produce. 43
- Fertilizer supply and use have increased while isolation conflict and other shocks are restricting access to inputs and services and increasing prices. 44
- The number of farmers facing challenges in preparing for the season is rising. 45
- Farmers have better access to financing for working capital but more indebted borrowers are in financial distress. 46
- PRICES 48
- Insecurity correlates with higher agriculture input prices raising operational costs and lowering farmers profitability. 48
- Market prices of rice and other commodities have continued to rise encouraging farmers to produce in anticipation of higher earnings. 50
- Transport disruptions are affecting market access and raising costs along the commodity value chain thereby raising the cost of food. 51
- TRADE 53
- The food trade balance declined in 2023 driven by lower fresh food exports especially maize and rice. 53
- Imports of key commodities have largely increased although frequent changes in import and foreign currency policy and kyat depreciation presented challenges for importers. 57
- The 2024 food trade outlook for Myanmar is uncertain due to kyat depreciation and an uncertain regulatory environment however rice exports are expected to continue increasing. 59
- OUTLOOK 61
- REFERENCES 63
- ANNEX 66
- Methodological Notes 66
- Farmers Survey 66
- Household Dietary Diversity Scores 68
- Desk Review and Analysis of Secondary Data 69
- Trade Flows 70
- Price Analysis 71
- Rice Self-Sufficiency 71
- Supplementary Figures and Tables 72
