May Thet Htar

Strengthening Myanmar’s agrifood system: Evidence and pathways for resilience

Myanmar’s agrifood system is central to the country’s economy and to the livelihoods of most of its population, having historically accounted for roughly almost half of GDP and two-thirds of employment. Since 2021, the political crisis, intensifying conflict and insecurity, climate shocks, and a major earthquake have placed the system under sustained and compounding stress. Drawing on evidence collected between 2021 and 2025, this paper provides a snapshot of where the system stands following this period of crisis and identifies opportunities for strengthening its resilience going forward. Private sector actors have been central to sustaining the agrifood system’s resilience since 2021. Input retailers have maintained the physical availability of fertilizer, seeds, and agro-chemicals, even in insecure areas, while mechanization service providers have continued to supply labor-saving services through flexible payment arrangements. Private agribusinesses have absorbed the contraction in formal credit, now accounting for roughly three-quarters of fertilizer credit sources, and have become the dominant providers of extension, both in-person and digital. These actors are operating under significant financial stress, but they have sustained farmers’ access to inputs, services, credit, and advice during a period when these would otherwise have likely collapsed. Input costs have risen significantly since 2022, with agricultural wages, mechanization costs, and fertilizer prices all rising substantially. Farmers have responded by partially shifting toward lower-cost production practices, including direct seeding, which carries an estimated yield penalty of approximately 15 percent compared to transplanted rice. Promoting appropriate agricultural technologies in conflict- and climate-affected areas requires targeted attention, particularly for smallholders and more remote households. Sustaining and expanding development assistance alongside humanitarian assistance will be important to support the transition toward more productive and sustainable farming systems, with scaling domestic production of organic soil amendments and expanding mechanization services. Agricultural extension use rebounded to 38 percent in the 2025 dry season, with the private sector now the dominant provider and digital channels expanding rapidly. Given persistently low and unequal access to extension services, more inclusive outreach combining targeted in-person support in underserved areas with strengthened digital delivery is needed, with particular attention to women, less educated, remote, and conflict-affected farmers. As agrochemical distributors dominate both in-person and digital advisory services, promoting high-quality agronomic content and ensuring clear separation between technical advice and product promotion is important. The rapid expansion of digital platforms creates opportunities but requires investments in digital literacy, content quality, and monitoring systems to assess impact. Partnerships between digital platforms and large firms could also support traceability and quality requirements for export markets.

Myanmar monthly food price report – April 2026

Rice prices increased sharply month-on-month in April 2026 (up 8.9 percent) and remained broadly stable year-on-year, suggesting a continued recovery following earlier declines driven by lower international rice prices and strong domestic supply. However, regional price disparities remain significant across major producing and deficit areas. Most export crop prices showed relatively limited month-on-month movement, particularly for pulses, reflecting stable regional demand from China and India during the Thingyan holiday period. In contrast, maize prices increased sharply following expectations of the reopening of the Thailand–Myanmar border trade route. Vegetable prices showed mixed trends in April 2026. Onion, chili, and garlic prices increased modestly month-on-month, partly linked to improving border trade expectations and lower domestic garlic production, while potato prices declined sharply amid increased inflows of imported Chinese potatoes and weak domestic demand. Most animal-sourced food prices remained substantially higher year-on-year, led by mutton, pork, and fish, reflecting continued supply constraints, disease outbreaks, and export demand. Month-on-month changes remained relatively modest, although extreme summer temperatures affected poultry, livestock, and aquaculture production conditions during April. Most animal-sourced food prices remained substantially higher year-on-year, led by mutton, pork, and fish, reflecting continued supply constraints, disease outbreaks, and export demand. Month-on-month changes remained relatively modest, although extreme summer temperatures affected poultry, livestock, and aquaculture production conditions during April.

Hidden one-stop shops in transforming agrifood value chains: Agro-input retailers in Myanmar