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experts

Development Strategies and Governance

Zin Wai Aung

Research Analyst

Bio

Zin Wai Aung is a Research Analyst with the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, and is based at IFPRI-Yangon.

Development Strategies and Governance

Publications

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Brief

Rice establishment methods in Myanmar: Trends, perceptions, and constraints

2026Goeb, Joseph; Minten, Bart; Synt, Nang Lun Kham; Aung, Zin Wai
Details

Rice establishment methods in Myanmar: Trends, perceptions, and constraints

Key Findings: Direct-seeded rice (DSR) is widely adopted in Myanmar rice production, used by around 50 percent of farmers during the monsoon season and about 75 percent during the dry season, accounting for the majority of cultivated rice area. Rice establishment methods remained relatively stable from 2023–2025 despite political instability, market disruptions, labor shortages, and price volatility. DSR adoption is higher among larger farms and non-irrigated farms, indicating that labor and water constraints strongly influence establishment choices. Broadcasting is the dominant DSR method, particularly dry broadcasting, while row planting remains uncommon. Most farmers believe puddled-transplanted rice (PTR) produces higher yields than DSR, with an average perceived yield advantage of about 11 baskets per acre. Farmers overwhelmingly perceive PTR as more labor-intensive, while differences in fertilizer and pesticide use are viewed as relatively small or mixed. Labor shortages and water constraints are the primary reasons for adopting DSR, not perceptions of lower profitability or lower yields under PTR. Recommended Actions: Strengthen investments in irrigation and water management systems to reduce water-related constraints and enable farmers to choose establishment methods based on productivity rather than necessity. Address rural labor shortages through mechanization support, labor-saving technologies, and improved access to agricultural services. Develop and disseminate best management practices for DSR, particularly for weed control, seed establishment, and water management to improve productivity and profitability. Conduct rigorous research on the economic returns of DSR and PTR across different agro-ecological zones, farm sizes, and irrigation conditions.

Year published

2026

Authors

Goeb, Joseph; Minten, Bart; Synt, Nang Lun Kham; Aung, Zin Wai

Citation

Goeb, Joseph; Minten, Bart; Synt, Nang Lun Kham; and Aung, Zin Wai. 2026. Rice establishment methods in Myanmar: Trends, perceptions, and constraints. Myanmar SSP Research Note 131. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183444

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Rice; Direct Sowing; Plant Establishment; Irrigation; Water Management; Rural Employment

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 Eight: Note on Sample Characteristics and Weighting

2026van Asselt, Joanna; Aung, Zin Wai; Ei Win, Hnin
Details

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

The Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey (MAPS) is a nationally and sub-nationally representative phone survey that collects bi-annual data on agricultural indicators, including crop production and sales, input use, crop marketing, farm and livestock assets, and farm services. MAPS is a sub-sample of the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey (MHWS), a nationally and sub-nationally representative phone survey that collects bi-annual data on household and individual welfare indicators, including poverty, food security, dietary quality, subjective wellbeing, and coping strategies. This note covers the eighth round of MAPS. Rounds 1, 3, 5, and 8 were conducted between January and March of 2022 and 2026 and collect recall data on monsoon production. Rounds 2, 4, 6, and 7 were conducted between June and October of 2022 and 2025 and collect recall data on dry season production (post/pre-monsoon season). In this note, we provide details on the data collection and sample characteristics of the eighth-round of MAPS. First, we briefly describe the modules present in MAPS data. Second, we discuss the household sampling design of MHWS and each MAPS round and the differences between the datasets. Third, we discuss the calculation of weights for MAPS and provide descriptives of the weighted sample. Most comparisons throughout the paper are between MAPS round 5 and MAPS round 8 because both surveys were carried out for the monsoon season.

Year published

2026

Authors

van Asselt, Joanna; Aung, Zin Wai; Ei Win, Hnin

Citation

van Asselt, Joanna; Aung, Zin Wai; Ei Win, Hnin. 2026. Myanmar Agricultural Performance Survey Round Eight: Note on Sample Characteristics and Weighting. Data Paper. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183271

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Eastern Asia; Asia; Household Surveys; Data; Rural Areas; Farmers; Welfare; Agricultural Production

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Source

Source record

Record type

Data Paper

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Working Paper

Conflict and farmland values: Spatial panel data evidence from rice plots in Myanmar

2026Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Minten, Bart; Masias, Ian; Aung, Zin Wai; Ei Win, Hnin
Details

Conflict and farmland values: Spatial panel data evidence from rice plots in Myanmar

The significant economic implications of the value of farmland in developing countries is increasingly recognized, particularly in those countries where land scarcity is a growing problem. However, knowledge gaps remain about how farmland values can be affected by factors such as conflict and social instability. A knowledge gap also remains regarding how spatial transmission and feedback effects of land values among geographically proximate parcels may affect the relationship between conflict and farmland values. This impact has generally been overlooked in the literature, despite the well-established importance of clustering in agricultural economies. This paper addresses these gaps by utilizing unique, nationally representative panel data on farm households and spatial data on conflict intensity in Myanmar, with a focus on the period of significant conflict intensification following the 2021 political crisis, particularly in 2022 and 2023, when the country’s conflict level largely shifted to a high-intensity state. We apply spatial econometric models and their extensions to a panel data framework, as well as models that allow for endogenous spatial weights, which enable conflicts to not only affect farmland values but also shape how changes in farmland values transmit across locations. Our results indicate that more local conflict during the prior 12 months, measured by the number of months with at least one fatal violent event within the township of respondents, significantly reduced the farmland values of the largest rice plot of these respondents. Specifically, in the monsoon and non-monsoon harvesting seasons of 2022 and 2023, an additional one month of fatal violence was associated with approximately 3 percent and 5 percent decline in land values, respectively, implying a potentially sizable decline for townships that experience more persistent conflicts over several months. Moreover, the effects of violent events are magnified by spatial spillover effects on land values across village tracts. These adverse effects are robust and consistent across a range of methodologies and hold across diverse agroecological conditions.

Year published

2026

Authors

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Minten, Bart; Masias, Ian; Aung, Zin Wai; Ei Win, Hnin

Citation

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Minten, Bart; Masias, Ian; Aung, Zin Wai; and Win, Hnin Ei. 2026. Conflict and farmland values: Spatial panel data evidence from rice plots in Myanmar. 2026. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2418. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/183196

Country/Region

Myanmar

Keywords

Asia; South-eastern Asia; Farmland; Conflicts; Spatial Analysis; Seasons; Monsoon Climate; Cereals; Rice

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Record type

Working Paper