Myanmar's agchem market full of potentials

Myanmar’s agricultural production accounts for 65% of its GDP, which is a result of rapid agricultural development with great potentials. However Myanmar’s crop protection technology is falling behind, where fertilizer, pesticide and farm machinery would rely on importation which provides great business opportunities, according to information received by Agropages at the International Exhibition & Conference on Agriculture for Myanmar recently held in Yangon Myanmar.

It is said that 70% of Myanmar’s population is rural population, being a country highly relying on agriculture. Myanmar’s land area exceeds that of Vietnam and Thailand, so its land for agriculture will generate great potentials for development because its planted area is only as big as that of Vietnam.

The undeveloped crop protection technology and scarcity of pesticide are one of the main reasons for the lower agricultural output. Taking an example of rice output, Myanmar’s output per hectare is 70% of that of Thailand and 55% of that of Vietnam while the income per hectare is only 1/3 of that of Thailand and Vietnam. At present the use of crop protection product in Myanmar is only 8 – 10% of that of Vietnam, showing that there will be great potentials of increase of crop productions both quantity-wise and quality-wise; the application of crop protection product and growth of market cannot be ignored.

Myanmar’s agricultural production has grown rapidly including fruit and vegetables, especially with the improvement to people’s living standard, the increase of population and the growth of export. Myanmar has 70 kinds of fruits, attributable to its superior climate and growing conditions. However the output falls far behind compared with its neighboring countries, also quality being at a relatively lower level. Local farmers say that their application of pesticide to farmland is very limited, all products come from Thailand, which are only insecticides not herbicides yet.

Although over recent years Myanmar’s pesticide application is growing, which however faces lots of problems, such as farmers’ financing shortage and their very little knowledge on crop protection. There are not sufficient pesticide distributors yet in Myanmar while the larger distributors are trying to grow the market via establishment of agricultural demonstration base and agriculture-related technical training, knowing that Myanmar’s rapid agricultural development will bring more business opportunities for crop protection product.