Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round

To understand the effects of political instability and related shocks on Myanmar’s agricultural input sector, we conducted a phone survey of 187 input retailers throughout the country in August 2023. Key Findings • Fertilizer and pesticides were generally more available in 2023 monsoon than in 2022,...

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Main Author: Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Format: Brief
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140255
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author Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
author_browse Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
author_facet Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
author_sort Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description To understand the effects of political instability and related shocks on Myanmar’s agricultural input sector, we conducted a phone survey of 187 input retailers throughout the country in August 2023. Key Findings • Fertilizer and pesticides were generally more available in 2023 monsoon than in 2022, though seeds were less available. More input retailers reported higher fertilizer sales in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic sales in 2019. Also on a positive note, the share of input sellers reporting low input demand dropped in 2023 compared to 2022. • Nominal fertilizer prices remain high in 2023, but sales have increased and prices relative to rice prices decreased 50 percent for urea and 38 percent for compound compared to 2022. • The percentage of input retailers reporting transportation disruptions has declined over the past 12 months, but 66 percent of retailers still report higher transportation costs. • Import challenges are now the most significant disruption to input retailers’ businesses, increased more than sixfold from less than 5 percent in 2022 to 30 percent in 2023. Fifty six percent of input sellers could not acquire at least some inputs. • More retailers reported purchasing and selling inputs on credit in 2023 compared to 2022 and demand for both credit in and credit out remain high. • The input retail sector has generally experienced growth in fertilizer sales over the past 10 years. Competition has also increased with 92 percent more input sellers in retailers’ village tracts or wards in 2023 compared to 2013 and 27 percent more relative to pre-COVID levels. Looking Forward • Higher fertilizer sales and decreased transportation disruptions in each agro-ecological zone relative to last year are positive signs for 2023 monsoon crop production. • However, unpredictable import processes and foreign exchange regulations could negatively affect input availability in the upcoming seasons. • More input retailers reported challenges with recovering credit lent out to farmers, and more farmers were buying inputs on credit in 2023 compared to 2022, indicating that farmers are still cash constrained.
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spelling CGSpace1402552025-11-06T05:22:37Z Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity imports fertilizers inputs shock coronavirus covid-19 transport agriculture coronavirinae agrifood systems coronavirus disease To understand the effects of political instability and related shocks on Myanmar’s agricultural input sector, we conducted a phone survey of 187 input retailers throughout the country in August 2023. Key Findings • Fertilizer and pesticides were generally more available in 2023 monsoon than in 2022, though seeds were less available. More input retailers reported higher fertilizer sales in 2023 compared to pre-pandemic sales in 2019. Also on a positive note, the share of input sellers reporting low input demand dropped in 2023 compared to 2022. • Nominal fertilizer prices remain high in 2023, but sales have increased and prices relative to rice prices decreased 50 percent for urea and 38 percent for compound compared to 2022. • The percentage of input retailers reporting transportation disruptions has declined over the past 12 months, but 66 percent of retailers still report higher transportation costs. • Import challenges are now the most significant disruption to input retailers’ businesses, increased more than sixfold from less than 5 percent in 2022 to 30 percent in 2023. Fifty six percent of input sellers could not acquire at least some inputs. • More retailers reported purchasing and selling inputs on credit in 2023 compared to 2022 and demand for both credit in and credit out remain high. • The input retail sector has generally experienced growth in fertilizer sales over the past 10 years. Competition has also increased with 92 percent more input sellers in retailers’ village tracts or wards in 2023 compared to 2013 and 27 percent more relative to pre-COVID levels. Looking Forward • Higher fertilizer sales and decreased transportation disruptions in each agro-ecological zone relative to last year are positive signs for 2023 monsoon crop production. • However, unpredictable import processes and foreign exchange regulations could negatively affect input availability in the upcoming seasons. • More input retailers reported challenges with recovering credit lent out to farmers, and more farmers were buying inputs on credit in 2023 compared to 2022, indicating that farmers are still cash constrained. 2023-09-27 2024-03-14T12:09:10Z 2024-03-14T12:09:10Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140255 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity (MAPSA). 2023. Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round. Myanmar SSP Research Note 101. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136907.
spellingShingle imports
fertilizers
inputs
shock
coronavirus
covid-19
transport
agriculture
coronavirinae
agrifood systems
coronavirus disease
Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity
Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round
title Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round
title_full Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round
title_fullStr Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round
title_full_unstemmed Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round
title_short Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: Agricultural input retailers – August 2023 survey round
title_sort monitoring the agri food system in myanmar agricultural input retailers august 2023 survey round
topic imports
fertilizers
inputs
shock
coronavirus
covid-19
transport
agriculture
coronavirinae
agrifood systems
coronavirus disease
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140255
work_keys_str_mv AT myanmaragriculturepolicysupportactivity monitoringtheagrifoodsysteminmyanmaragriculturalinputretailersaugust2023surveyround