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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Kate Ambler

Kate Amber is a Senior Research Fellow in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit. Kate’s research broadly focuses on interventions that can increase incomes for smallholders and other microenterprises in agrifood value chains, with a specific focus on the inclusion of women. This includes work on programming in fragile settings, innovations in agricultural finance, and regulatory solutions for food safety. 

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IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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Publications

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Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Rice millers – September 2024 survey round

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Rice millers – September 2024 survey round

In September 2024, we surveyed 256 rice millers from 12 states and regions across Myanmar to assess the impacts of the monsoon floods and the political crisis and related disruptions. This report presents the key results and analysis from those interviews. Key findings  Flooding has significantly affected monsoon paddy production, with 74 percent of millers reporting flood-related impacts, particularly in the main rice-growing regions. Consequently, 63 percent of millers expect local production to decline compared to last year, with 73 percent of millers in flood-affected areas anticipating reduced output.  Labor shortages have emerged as a critical challenge for milling businesses, with 53 percent of millers identifying it as a significant issue and 7 percent considering it the most severe disruption.  Mills continue to face ongoing difficulties accessing electricity and fuel, alongside rising transportation costs. Moreover, reports about disruptions in banking and finance have doubled compared to last year, indicating increasingly widespread and persistent challenges.  Mill-level paddy and rice prices continued to rise in September 2024. Rice prices increased by 17–19 percent compared to one year earlier, while paddy prices rose by a more modest 8 percent on average. This discrepancy suggests that higher milling margins account for a significant share of the price increases. Looking forward  There will be lower paddy production from the 2024 monsoon season due to floods and pests, which is expected to further drive-up rice prices for consumers. Rice prices have already risen rapidly over the past three years, raising serious concerns about affordability and food security.  Labor availability is a rising concern and rising costs of labor and fuel together with volatile byproduct markets and other business disruptions have likely contributed to rising milling margins, with a smaller share of rice price increases passed through to producers. This trend underscores the impacts of business disruptions and the need for stability.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Rice millers – September 2024 survey round. Myanmar SSP Research Note 120. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/168423

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agrifood Systems; Milling; Monsoons; Flooding; Rice; Labour Shortage; Prices; Fuels

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

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Data Paper

Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey Round Three: Note on Sample Characteristics and Weighting

2024Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Details

Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey Round Three: Note on Sample Characteristics and Weighting

The Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey (MAPS) Round 3 provides nationally and sub-nationally representative data on agricultural performance, integrating insights from 4,892 farming households. Conducted between January and March 2023, this survey leverages phone-based data collection to address logistical challenges posed by Myanmar’s remote and conflict-affected regions. MAPS modules encompass critical agricultural indicators, including crop production, marketing, input usage, farm assets, and services. The survey design integrates rigorous sampling and weighting strategies to ensure representation across demographic and geographical strata. Findings highlight variations in agricultural practices between seasons and years, alongside challenges in household retention due to conflict and infrastructure limitations. Despite attrition and inherent limitations of phone surveys, MAPS successfully enumerated 271 out of 324 townships, contributing vital data for understanding agricultural dynamics in Myanmar.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity

Citation

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity. 2024. Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey Round Three: Note on Sample Characteristics and Weighting. Data Paper. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Agricultural Production; Welfare; Farmers; Rural Areas; Data; Household Surveys

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Data Paper

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Brief

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural crop traders – June 2024 survey

2024Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis
Details

Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural crop traders – June 2024 survey

To document changes in the mid-stream of Myanmar’s food value chains, a phone survey of commodity traders was conducted in June 2024 with a sample of 187 active traders in 12 states and regions. Key Findings: -Cellphone network challenges rival transportation challenges in both their prevalence and impact, affecting more than half the traders and doubling since 2023. -More than 30 percent of traders reported being affected by exchange rate volatility and inflation, export/import challenges, and local and regional conflict. Notably, most encountered these shocks in April, May, and June 2024. -Reported credit challenges are at their highest points in the past three years. The proportion of traders offering credit to farmers has decreased, and for some, the credit terms have shifted to higher interest rates and extended loan durations. -Prices for the six most common commodities in our data have increased markedly in the past two years. Trader sales prices of rice were three times higher in June 2024 than in April 2022. -Margins in June 2024 were 0.8 points higher than in April 2023. Rising trading margins could reflect increasing transport or transactions costs in trading, and are generally a negative sign for agrifood system efficiency. Looking Ahead: -Communication challenges in cellphone networks together with widespread transport disruptions could lead to inefficiencies in spatial arbitrage and widening gaps between consumer and producer prices. -Credit challenges are increasing and rising prices will place greater financial stress on the farmers and traders alike. -More than 40 percent of traders consider the general inflation and exchange rate volatility as a negative shock that reduces their business revenues. This survey was conducted before a large currency devaluation in informal markets and widespread flooding in Myanmar impacting agricultural production and livelihoods. These shocks add additional stress to the food system.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis

Citation

Myanmar Agrifood Program for Strategy and Analysis. 2024. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural crop traders – June 2024 survey. Myanmar SSP Research Note 114. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/159535

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Value Chains; Agrifood Systems; Agricultural Trade; Shock; Agricultural Credit; Prices

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

Resource-poor rice farmers in Myanmar suffer double impact from political conflict
IFPRI Blog
 | 
November 12, 2024

Resource-poor rice farmers in Myanmar suffer double impact from political conflict

By Hiroyuki Takeshima, Zin Wai Aung, Ian Masias, and Bart Minten

Productivity erodes amid turmoil.