Public Institutions

Agricultural Extension Division, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (http://www.moai.gov.mm)

The Department of Agriculture (DOA), headed by a Director General, is the sole government institution responsible for providing public extension services to the farmers. The DOA performs functions including extension towards the following objectives: 

• increased production of major crops; 
• development of improved production technology through proper research on management of soil crop and pest control; 
• development of suitable high-yielding crop varieties; 
• transfer of appropriate crop production technology through agricultural extension program; 
• distribution of certified seeds through the seed program; 
• provision of agricultural inputs; 
• classification of soils and advising on soil conservation techniques; 
• exploration of export markets on some agricultural produce. 

The DOA is one of 14 institutions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. It has nine divisions, the Agricultural Extension Division (AED) being the biggest. Recently, the AED has been undertaking the following extension activities: 

• Training and capacity building of extension agents; 
• Training of farmers in transfer of technology through Farmers Field Schools (FFS); Farmers to farmers discussion, training and education; 
• Farmer-based participatory demonstration trials and field visits by local authorities and extension agents; 
• Delivery of educational materials, pamphlets, newsletters and books on new crops; 
• Education of farmers in the utilization of quality seed, drum seeder, combine harvester, dryers, etc. 
• Explanation of post-production losses in rice production to the farmers; 
• Cooperation among government, non-government and other relevant institutions for the dissemination of advanced technology at village level. 

The staff hierarchy of the AED is multi-layered. Starting from the top, it includes: Director General of DOA, General Manager (Agriculture), Deputy General (Manager), Manager (Deputy State/Divisional), Manager (District), Assistant Manager (Township Manager), Deputy Township Manager, Village Tract Manager, and Village Manager. The following tables outline the number of public extension workers in Myanmar: 

The AED uses the following approaches and programs for updating agricultural techniques of farmers’ communities: 

• Large scale education camps 
• Farmers Field Schools 
• Ten-member farmers’ groups (Se-Le-Su) for extension contacts 
• Training & Visit system 
• Special high-yielding programs 
• Special crop production zones 
• Block-wise crop production programs 
• Farmers’ participatory technology development approach 

Table 1: Number of public extension staff in agriculture, forestry, fishery and rural development in Myanmar as in 2009

Discipline	Total Extension Staff	Female Extension Staff only	Support Staff
Agriculture (including crops and livestock)	5,631	2,574	1,760
Forestry		11
Fishery (Marine and aquaculture)	20	5	30
Rural Development	5,296	2,384	1,678

Source: Investment Assessment Project survey; FAO Rome; 2010

The extension coverage by various managers differs from locality to locality depending on several factors including communication facilities. On average, a Village Manager, who is supposed to maintain direct contacts with farmers, is required to cover a few village tracts or villages with 1,215 to 2,430 hectares of cropland. As many as 10 Village Managers are supervised by each Village Tract Manager. The Village Tract Extension Service is involved in promoting rural development.

 

Table 2: Academic Qualifications and Gender of Human Resources in Agricultural Extension in Myanmar as in 2010

Staff Categories	Second. School Diploma			2-3 Year Agriculture Diploma		B.Sc. Degree		M.Sc./Ing. Agric.		Ph.D.
Gender	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M	F	M
Senior Management Staff					78	172		5		2
Subject-matter Specialists (SMS)					161	225	55	20	22	4
Field Level Extension Staff			430	800	1,620	940
ICT Support Staff							5	5
In-service Training Staff
Total 4,544			430	800	1,859	1,337	60	30	22	6

Source: Myanmar Agriculture Service

As of 2002, there were 35 Seed Farms, 17 Research Stations, 53 Horticultural Farms, 10 Field Crops Farms and five (5) Crop Substituting Farms in the opium cultivation areas—all under DOA. Among these, Horticultural Farms, Field Crops Farms, and Crop Substituting Farms are engaged in extension activities related to crop and horticultural production, crop protection, systematic fertilizer application and soil and water management. All these activities are undertaken under the supervision of the Agricultural Extension Division, which is also responsible for seed multiplication and distribution in coordination with the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) and the Seed Divisions for major crops, that is, rice, maize, pulses, oilseed, vegetables and fruits. 

Department of Agricultural Research (DAR)

The DAR is located near Yezin, about 250 miles north of Yangon. It has 10 disciplinary divisions individually concentrating on agronomy, plant physiology, plant pathology, entomology, agricultural chemistry, small scale farm implements, seed bank, regional research and development, agricultural economics, and management and accounts. 

In addition, DAR has seven (7) crop divisions to individually cover rice, other cereals, fiber crops, oil crops, food legumes, sugar crops, and horticulture. 

All the extension activities of the state and division level agricultural research stations are organized by the DAR. 

Seed Division

The Seed Division has the following responsibilities to: 

• produce and distribute quality seed systematically; 
• conduct systematic quality control activities to maintain seed with genetic identity, varietals purity and high germination 
• conduct training, workshop and field days 
• establish Model Registered Seed Growing Villages for multiplication of certified seed 
• demonstrate the effective use of small farm implements and machinery.

Extension activities related to pure seed production and seed multiplication are carried out by the Seed Division. 

Yezin Agricultural University (YAU)

Yezin Agricultural University is the only institution of higher learning in agriculture in Myanmar. It is located about 11 miles north of Pyinmana in the new capital Nay Pyi Taw, and has a farm which has access to irrigation. 

The goal of the university is to educate students to enable them to attain high standard in agricultural sciences, and generate well qualified agriculturists for the country. The university has nine (9) departments of basic and applied agricultural sciences, and offers both B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in agricultural sciences. Recently, the university has started Ph.D. program. The faculty is well qualified and experienced faculty. Some of the teaching staff has received post-graduate training overseas. 

Myanmar Academy of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Fishery Sciences

Myanmar Academy of Agricultural, Forestry, Livestock and Fishery Sciences was established by the government in 1999. The main objective of the academy is to promote the science and technology for the development of national economy, and collaborate with international scientific institutions. The mandate of the academy is to assist in the implementation of human resource development programs through various types of training for the existing staff. Another approach is to organize the young scientists from different fields to conduct research and to write papers on new findings, which could be published later. 

Donor Agencies Providing Services 

There are about 16 UN agencies and several multilateral and bilateral donors present in Myanmar in spite of certain international sanctions. Various types of sanctions are being imposed by individual countries and/or development agencies, for whatever reasons, that are of little help in developing poor farmer communities. Only recently the international isolation of Myanmar has started to fade due to long-awaited political reforms in the country. It should be noted that Myanmar is a country full of natural resources, most of which have not yet been tapped. There is no doubt that with enhanced involvement of the donor community, the country can progress much faster in all aspects, including rural and agriculture development. 

Some of these donors are: 

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 
• United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 
• World Health Organization (WHO) 
• United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – mainly in humanitarian assistance 
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – mainly in technical assistance, soft loans and grants 
• European Union – mainly in poverty alleviation through MDGs 
• Department for International Development (DFID) 
• Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) – mainly in health, food security, sustainable livelihoods, basic education and water and sanitation 
• Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) – mainly assistance in programs of regional interest 

Non-Public Institutions

Private sector

Presently, there are no private companies involved in extension work. However, there are commercial trade companies, some based in other countries, which handle export or import of various agricultural commodities such as timber and a variety of other items. A list of such companies supposedly in Myanmar may be seen at the website: www.list-of-companies.org/Myanmar/Agriculture . 

Not long ago, the government has created Myanmar Rice Industry Association (MRIA) to promote the export of rice. The MRIA has been created by merging three existing associations namely, the Myanmar Rice and Traders’ Association, the Myanmar Millers’ Association and the Myanmar Paddy Producers’ Association. 

Non-governmental organizations

Almost all the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Myanmar are international, which have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) or Letters of Agreements LOA) with the government. In spite of certain difficulties in working in the field mainly caused by international sanctions, there were about 65 NGOs active in various sectors Myanmar including agriculture, health and post-disaster rehabilitation. Most of their funding comes from Japan, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, France, Norway and Italy. Examples of such NGOs are: 

• Action Aid Myanmar (AAM) www.actionaid.org
• Water Research and Training Center – Myanmar (WRTC-Myanmar) www.wrtcmyanmar.org
• World Vision Myanmar (WVM) www.wvasiapacific.org
• Saetanar www.saetanar.org
• Capacity Building Initiative (CBI) 
• Population Services International (PSI) 

Some of the operational constraints faced by the NGOs in working in Myanmar include a lack of mobility of expatriate staff, changing rules of visa approval, short-term donor funding, weak local capacity, lack of reliable data and government bureaucratic procedures. A list of 63 NGOs may be found at the website http://www.aseanpostnargiskm.org/knowledge-base/links/ngos-in-myanmar 

Farmers-based associations, cooperatives and societies

In general, there has been little encouragement in Myanmar to form farmers’ associations at village level and above. Apart from farmers’ groups formed by the Myanmar Agriculture Service, no significant extension-related associations exist. The following two associations have been identified but they are commercial and export-oriented in character: 

• Myanmar Fish Farmers Association (MFFA) 
• Myanmar Rubber Planters and Producers’ Association (MRPPA) http://www.mrppa.org

TRAINING OPTIONS FOR EXTENSION PROFESSIONALS

According to the Myanmar Department of Agriculture, training in agricultural disciplines including extension takes place at the following three institutions: 

• Yezin Agricultural University 
• Myanmar Department of Agriculture 
• Myanmar Academy of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Fishery Sciences 

The Department of Technical and Vocational Education (DTAVE), Ministry of Education has ten types of institutes under it, which offer short-term training and long-term regular courses. A Government Technical Institute (GTI) and seven (7) State Agricultural Institutes (SAI) offer diploma programs. Myanmar also has Mobile Vocational Training Teams and Skill-based Literacy Training Programs at township level. In spite of all this, according to a review of agriculture sector, specialized training programs based on farmers’ needs and constraints, agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions, and realities of research and extension organizations, are virtually non-existent. In Myanmar, extension officials and extension agents lack the needed knowledge about market-driven and pluralistic agricultural extension and advisory systems. 

A paper by Khin Mar Cho and Hermann Boland (2004), based on a research study conducted in Myanmar in April 2001, shows the in-country and overseas training received by extension agents located in seven different regions, as follows: 

Table 3: Extent of training in technical disciplines received by extension agents in Myanmar during the period 1995-2000

Technical discipline in which training was provided	Percentage of content received through training
Crop production	33%
Advanced administration	31%
Soil and water management	14%
Plant protection	7%
Agricultural extension	5%
Other subjects	4%
Agricultural economics	3%
Seed technology	3%

Source: Research study paper by Khin Mar Cho and Hermann Boland (2004)

 

Table 4: Overseas training received by extension agents of Myanmar during the period 1995-2000

Countries in Which Training Received	Duration of Training (days)	Number of Trainees	Areas of Training
Mexico	120	1	Wheat production technology
Thailand	20	1	Sustainable agriculture & rural development
Thailand	40	1	Rice production technology
Korea	40	1	Rice production technology
Japan	40	1	Flower wheat cultivation & processing
Nepal	5	1	Agriculture development in mountain regions
Thailand	35	1	Post-harvest technology
China	20	1	Hybrid rice production technology
Japan	40	1	Integrated agriculture & rural development through participation of local farmers

Source: Research study paper by Khin Mar Cho and Hermann Boland (2004)

 The study also revealed further specific training needs in ten technical subjects as expressed by the extension agents in the following order of priority: 

1. Extension education 
2. Rice production technology 
3. Market information advice 
4. Pure seed production 
5. Post-harvest technology 
6. Pulses and oil seeds crop production technology 
7. Cropping system 
8. Industrial crop production 
9. Plant protection technology 
10. Farm mechanization 

INFO-MEDIARIES AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) FOR AGRICULTURE AND EXTENSION

Myanmar started installing ICT tools/applications more than ten years ago. Presently, there are over 250 ICT companies in the country. The ICT coverage for some of Myanmar’s rural areas was initiated by the Post and Telecommunications Department (PTD), which is organizationally under the Myanmar Post and Communication (MPT). A multi-purpose community tele-center was set up at Phaunggyi village which is located about 48 miles from Yangon. The center is assisted by the Telecommunication Development Bureau (TDB), and its purpose is to improve living standard of people living in rural areas. The government plans to install about 6,000 small satellite terminals at remote areas within three years or so. 

According to the World Bank, in 2010, the number of mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) in Myanmar was 1.23. During the same year, the number of Internet users (per 100 people) in the country was 0.22. The number of mobile users dramatically changed this year, but an increasing number of people now have mobile phones. 

There has been talk of establishing an e-agriculture information center in Myanmar to efficiently publish and share essential information for agriculture business. The center will serve as the main source of agricultural product distribution information. Also, a website will be launched for information sharing. 

According to the extension management, publications are available on-line, around 60 to 65 television programs are telecast per month, and about 16 radio programs are broadcast per month. In addition a number of information bulletins and fact sheets are being distributed to some farmers, but we are uncertain about the number of farmers actually receiving these educational factsheets/information bulletins. Other than that, there is no evidence of any significant modern ITC application in support of extension programs being used. 

RESOURCES AND REFERENCES

Aung, U.Y.M. (2011). Private Sector’s Perspectives on Myanmar Rice Industry: Addressing Potentials and Opportunities, Challenges and Risks (pdf PowerPoint presentation at the Third Development Partnership Forum, June 27, 2011 at Nay Pyi Taw). 

Cho, K.M. (2002). Agricultural extension in Myanmar. BeraterInnen News; Pp. 45-48