The final draft of the Myanmar: Analysis of Farm Production Economics report went under peer scrutiny at a workshop last week. The report, which is a joint publication from LIFT and the World Bank, aims to fill the gap of reliable data on agriculture and farming in Myanmar that is needed to help inform effective programmes and policy.
The lead author, Serjiy Zorya, presented findings and explained the data analysis, in lively conversation with more than 30 distinguished local and international rural development specialists.
The report is based on a 2013/14 Myanmar agricultural survey of 1,728 farm households in Ayeyarwady, Bago, Sagaing, and Shan State. It covers the major crops grown in these regions during the monsoon and dry seasons including beans and pulses, oil seeds, and maize.
The report offers an investigation into crop diversity, productivity of agricultural land and profitability of labour and crops.
One of the major findings is that, despite agricultural productivity in Myanmar being comparatively low, farming systems here are more diverisifed than commonly thought.
The full report will be available in April, and will be promoted widely at that time.