Myanmar: Agricultural Resilience Amid Deepening Food Insecurity

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.