Lessons from Mandalay and Magwe on realizing the economic potential of small-scale farmers
Publication date: 27 August 2014
Myanmar is undergoing intense and rapid changes. Policies formulated today will determine the future path of political and economic development. Modernization of the country’s agricultural sector is, rightly, a priority.
However, mechanization and large-scale agricultural investment is not the only option. Small farm development provides a commercially viable option with better outcomes in terms of poverty reduction and positive spillovers to other sectors. Small farms absorb labor, allow communities to build assets and help local markets flourish.
It is crucial that Myanmar promotes the right type of agricultural investment – one which supports the country’s millions of small-scale farmers and farm laborers, as well as their families.