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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.

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researcher spotlight

Samuel Benin

Samuel Benin is the Acting Director for Africa in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit. He conducts research on national strategies and public investment for accelerating food systems transformation in Africa and provides analytical support to the African Union’s CAADP Biennial Review.

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Where we work

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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Country program Myanmar

country program

Myanmar Strategy Support Program

rice sprout ready to growing in the rice field

country programs

Overview

The Myanmar Strategy Support Program (Myanmar SSP) aims to enhance the national capacity to conduct research and prioritize strategic reforms that improve food security and nutrition in Myanmar. Through a multi-faceted and multidisciplinary research program designed to anticipate and monitor the impacts of multiple crises on household welfare and the agrifood system, Myanmar SSP provides rapid assessments that inform programming and investments for development partners, civil society, and the private sector. Moreover, working collaboratively with national researchers in academic institutions, it aims to fill the knowledge gap on the agrifood system, while developing the technical capacity of the next generation of national leaders to conduct research, strategic analysis and promote evidence-based policy making to support agricultural transformation and other broad development goals in Myanmar.

The Feed the Future Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity (MAPSA), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is Myanmar SSP’s flagship project. The project is led by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in partnership with Michigan State University (MSU).  MAPSA generates data and analysis of the agri-food system and food security outcomes to guide efforts to support the people of Myanmar and ensure resilience. Activities focus on enhancing resilience in the near term and preserve a foundation for the inclusive growth and transformation of the agri-food system in the medium term. 

The Agrifood Value Chain Development in Myanmar: Implications for Livelihoods of the Rural Poor (AFVC) project, funded by the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) aims to promote inclusive agricultural productivity growth, improved nutritional outcomes, and enhanced livelihood resilience for men and women through an improved policy enabling environment. Activities focus on monitoring the impact of multiple crises on household livelihoods and welfare to inform development partners and civil society on the evolution of the agrifood system and its implications. This project is led by Michigan State University (MSU) in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

To learn more, visit the IFPRI Myanmar website.

IFPRI Myanmar Website

Donors

Partners

Duration

2019 – Ongoing

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey (MAPS) Monsoon Season 2024: Agricultural input markets, credit and extension services

2024Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Details

Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey (MAPS) Monsoon Season 2024: Agricultural input markets, credit and extension services

This note provides an overview of agricultural input access and utilization for the monsoon season 2023 based on a nationally and regionally representative sample of 4,663 crop farmers undertaken in January 22 to March 7, 2024. Key Findings  Fertilizer use rates and profitability for rice production reached their highest levels since before the coup during the 2023 monsoon season, driven primarily by higher paddy prices. Application rates for monsoon season paddy increased to 66 kg/acre from 54 kg/acre in the previous monsoon. Urea application increased from 33 kg/acre to 38 kg/acre, and non-urea fertilizers (mainly compound 15-15-15) increased from 21 kg/acre to 28 kg/acre.  The benefit-cost ratio of urea application to paddy crops averaged 2.3 at the urea sales price reported by agri-input dealers and 2.0 at farmer reported urea prices. These ratios imply a return on investment in urea fertilizer for the farmer of 130 percent at input dealer prices and 100 percent at average famer-reported prices. The difference in reported prices likely reflects interest charges and local transport costs from the dealer to the farm.  Access to mechanization services, tractors and combine harvesters was similar in monsoon 2023 compared to a year earlier, but costs increased dramatically. Plowing with a four-wheel tractor, for example, increased by 42 percent to 60,000 MMK/acre. The cost of combine harvesting averaged 110,000 MMK/acre. Timeliness of access was likely reduced as fuel shortages increased, especially in conflict areas.  The share of farmers using saved paddy seed increased from 56 percent to 61 percent nationally for use in the 2023 monsoon season compared to a year before. There were important differences across states and regions. The share of farmers purchasing seed in conflict areas fell more than the national average; by 11 percentage points in Mandalay, 7 percentage points in Rakhine, 6 percentage points in Tanintharyi, and 5 percentage points in Mon State.  Eighty-four percent of farms hired labor in the 2023 monsoon season, slightly higher than the previous monsoon season. Male wages rose to 8,800 MMK/day in the 2023 monsoon season from almost 7,400 MMK/day in the previous monsoon, an increase of 19 percent.  Despite large nominal increases, real wages for men and women nevertheless fell as the cost of a typical daily diet which rose 37 percent over the period February 2023 to March 2024.  Access to internet or mobile phone services increased by 3 percentage points from 15 percent to 18 percent, and access to private sector services increased by almost 3 percentage points from 18.0 percent to 20.6 percent. Increases in private extension access favored producers of cash crops, notably betel leaves, cotton, rice and maize. Internet or mobile phone services were sought out by producers of cotton, rice, betel leaves and pulses, again primarily cash crops. Recommendations  Improvements in the geographical coverage and content of mobile phone extension services could play an important role in offsetting reductions in in-person extension access. This is an opportunity for development partners to have a positive impact without increasing risk to beneficiaries or implementing partner staff.  The prevalence of local farmers as a seed source indicates that mobile extension services targeting informal seed producers could be important, along with facilitating access to certified seed for multiplication. As nearly all chemical input distributors and machinery service providers depend on imports, access to foreign exchange is critically important. Further sharp depreciation of the Myanmar Kyat will lead to increases in prices for the coming post-monsoon season.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity

Citation

Myanmar Agricultural Policy Support Activity. 2-24. Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey (MAPS) Monsoon Season 2024: Agricultural input markets, credit and extension services. Myanmar Strategy Support Program Research Note 10. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

South-eastern Asia; Asia; Agriculture; Markets; Credit; Extension; Fertilizers; Prices; Farmers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Stunting and wasting rates among pre-school age children in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023

2024Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Details

Stunting and wasting rates among pre-school age children in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023

The outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 and the military takeover of the democratically elected government in early 2021 has largely prevented the implementation of in-person surveys necessary for the collection of anthropometric data. To redress this knowledge gap, we implemented an in-person survey of mothers (caregivers) and young children in urban and peri-urban Yangon and rural Ayeyarwady in October and November 2023. This in-person 11th round of the Rural-Urban Food Security Survey (RUFSS) involved data collection on a wide range of socioeconomic indicators, but also child anthropometric outcomes such as length and weight. In this study, we report results for height-for-age z scores (HAZ) and weight-for-height z scores (WHZ) relative to international reference standards, as well as stunting (HAZ < -2) and wasting (WHZ < -2). Because of high and rising rates of overweight/obesity among adults in the RUFSS survey, we also examined the number of children were overweight (WHZ > +2) and mildly overweight (+1

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity

Citation

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity. 2024. Stunting and wasting rates among pre-school age children in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023. Myanmar SSP Research Note 109. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Stunting; Wasting Disease (nutritional Disorder); Preschool Children; Data

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among mothers in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023

2024Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Details

Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among mothers in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023

In this research note, we report results on the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among mothers of young children using data collected in Yangon and Ayeyarwady as part of the Rural-Urban Food Security Survey (RUFSS). This in-person study, conducted between October–November 2023, surveyed mothers who were registered from antenatal clinics in peri-urban Yangon in early 2020. In this latest survey round, we revisited this sample of mother-child pairs to gather anthropometric data (along with other nutrition-relevant indicators). We successfully collected anthropometric data for 646 mothers.

Year published

2024

Authors

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity

Citation

Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity. 2024. Prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among mothers in Yangon and Ayeyarwady, October–November 2023. Myanmar SSP Research Note 108. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute.

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Thinness; Obesity; Data; Mothers

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Brief

Blogs

Cash, COVID, coup, crisis: A pre-pandemic maternal and child cash transfer program had sustained dietary benefits during Myanmar’s ongoing emergency
IFPRI Blog
 | 
March 15, 2023

Cash, COVID, coup, crisis: A pre-pandemic maternal and child cash transfer program had sustained dietary benefits during Myanmar’s ongoing emergency

By Derek Headey and Elisa Maffioli

Positive health and nutrition results persist even in adverse circumstances.

Survey: COVID-19 undermines incomes, livelihoods in rural Myanmar
IFPRI Blog
 | 
May 14, 2021

Survey: COVID-19 undermines incomes, livelihoods in rural Myanmar

By Catherine Ragasa, Isabel Lambrecht, and Michael Wang

Mobility restrictions and market disruptions hit farming households hard.

Agricultural value chain finance can help drive Myanmar’s agricultural growth
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 11, 2021

Agricultural value chain finance can help drive Myanmar’s agricultural growth

By Siddhartha Basu, Alan de Brauw, Khin Pwint Oo, and Russell Toth

Overcoming limited access to banking and other services.

News

January 30, 2023 | In the News

Contentious election looms in Myanmar (The Star) 

The Star (Myanmar) published an article on the current state of politics and lost progress over the past two years. Armed conflict started in February 2021, but some are hopeful that a new election will turn turmoil into something workable for its citizens. However, many experts see little hope for negotiation.  More than 1.5 million […]

December 20, 2022 | In the News

Embattled Myanmar people see rise in crime as country’s political situation gets worse (The Star) 

The Star (Myanmar) published an article stating that while definitive crime statistics were not available, over 10 urban residents contacted by ST reported having been victims of or witnessed crimes affecting their friends and relatives, making them unwilling to venture outdoors at nightfall or fearful of carrying anything valuable when they leave their homes. According […]

December 13, 2022 | In the News

Rising production costs deny farmers benefits of high rice prices (Frontier Myanmar) 

Rice prices are going up, hitting ordinary Myanmar consumers, but smallholder farmers must still contend with higher costs of fertilizer and diesel, writes Frontier Myanmar, quoting IFPRI research on the matter.  “Local knowledge is backed up by international reports.  The International Food Policy Research Institute, a United States-based non-profit research center, says Myanmar’s rice productivity […]

Events

Assessments of the Impacts of COVID-19 on Myanmar's food security and welfare
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

November 11, 2020, 2:00 – 3:30 pm

Assessments of the Impacts of COVID-19 on Myanmar’s food security and welfare

While a much stronger second wave of COVID-19 cases poses a serious and sustained threat to the health of the Myanmar population, it also brings renewed economic disruptions and poses new challenges for efforts to avert poverty, food insecurity, and malnutrition. To generate evidence that can better inform the design of emergency response and economic […]

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Food and Nutrition Security in Myanmar
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

September 15, 2020, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Food and Nutrition Security in Myanmar

The impacts of the COVID-19 economic crisis are threatening the livelihoods and welfare of vulnerable households in Myanmar. Declining household income, from increases in unemployment and declines in remittances, can have negative long-term effects on the food and nutrition insecurity of households and the overall welfare of vulnerable populations. A deeper understanding of the social […]

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Myanmar’s Livestock and Fishery Sectors
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

August 26, 2020, 9:00 – 10:30 am

Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Myanmar’s Livestock and Fishery Sectors

Myanmar’s livestock and fishery sectors are crucial to the livelihoods of many vulnerable households, and an important dimension in improving nutritional outcomes in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate its spread have led to disruptions in these sectors arising from declines in incomes and restrictions on movement. Careful monitoring of the impact […]

Team members

Bart Minten

Bart Minten

Senior Research Fellow/ Program Leader of the Myanmar Strategy Support Program, Development
Strategies and Governance

Bart Minten

Bart Minten

Senior Research Fellow/ Program Leader of the Myanmar Strategy Support Program, Development
Strategies and Governance

Derek Headey

Derek Headey

Senior Research Fellow, Development
Strategies and Governance

Ian Masias

Ian Masias

Program Head, Development
Strategies and Governance

profile

Kristi Mahrt

Senior Research Analyst, Development
Strategies and Governance

The Programs

  • Kutubdia Island in the Bay of Bengal

    Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program

    Improving food and nutrition security is of paramount concern to millions in Bangladesh.

  • Wuxi, the fast growing city that was formerly known as White Horse Village.

    China Strategy Support Program

    Supports joint research & capacity strengthening as well as policy dialogues & communication to improve policymaking.

  • Farm land in Giza in Egypt

    Egypt Strategy Support Program

    Egypt SSP's main objective is to raise incomes of the rural poor and to improve food and nutrition security in Egypt.

  • Gayo village, Ethiopia

    Ethiopia Strategy Support Program

    ESSP is a collaborative program undertaken by IFPRI and the Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI)

  • amevi-wisdom-wiul_nyafcy-unsplash

    Ghana Strategy Support Program

    Conduct research & advise on policy to support agricultural growth, rural development & economic transformation.

  • Local vendors selling vegetables at a market in Kenya,Africa

    Kenya Strategy Support Program

    KSSP is a policy research, capacity strengthening and policy communication program with the main objectives to accelerate poverty reduction and to improve food security.

  • Mitundu Market, Lilongwe, Malawi

    Malawi Strategy Support Program

    This project facilitates and promotes evidence-based dialogue and decision-making in support of agricultural development, food security, and economic growth in Malawi.

  • Country program Myanmar

    Myanmar Strategy Support Program

    The project supports agricultural transformation and other development policy goals by enhancing national technical, institutional, and policy analysis capacities.

  • Nigeria Strategy Support Program

    NSSP responds to the research, analysis, and capacity needs of stakeholders in the Nigerian agricultural research and policy community.

  • Fertile field at sunset in the countryside (Rwanda/ Africa)

    Rwanda Strategy Support Program

    Rwanda SSP is an initiative aligned with the Government of Rwanda’s vision to accelerate agricultural transformation and rural development in Rwanda.

  • A sunset view of river Nile in Khartoum, Sudan

    Sudan Strategy Support Program

    The Sudan Country Strategy Support Program (CSSP), with key team members based in Khartoum, can provide needed analytical support to the Government of Sudan, local and international partners.