Creating new markets for seeds and vegetables in Kayin, Myanmar

Creating new markets for seeds and vegetables in Kayin, Myanmar

Round 2 Myanmar Agriculture Completed

56%

44%

Partner contribution

$ 402,406

DFAT contribution

$ 323,475

Icon Total Funds

Total Value

$ 725,881


Start: August 2017 - End: February 2020

Partners

East West Seed

EWS has been selling seeds in Myanmar for over 10 years.  EWS work closely with smallholder farmers and input suppliers, and research environmental conditions to improve tropical vegetable varieties. EWS estimates more than 100,000 Myanmar farmers already benefit from the company’s improved seed varieties.

MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates)

For 60 years, MEDA has implemented market-driven initiatives in the developing world. MEDA focuses on market systems development, inclusive financial services, and investment-led programming. MEDA has a strong history in agriculture, building and strengthening the business foundations and commercial relationships smallholder farmers need to improve their livelihoods.

About this partnership

This partnership aims to improve smallholder farming practices through training and demonstration plots, and to facilitate market linkages to support up to 6,000 farmers (of which 60 per cent are women) to sell their produce by piloting the development of a new regional market for an international seed supplier in Kayin, Myanmar, primarily using a ‘female lead farmer’ model.

The initiative aims to develop the market and build long term market links for quality agricultural seeds and other agricultural inputs such as plastic mulching, trellis netting, seed trays, and safer and more effective agro-chemicals, and to stimulate Kayin’s vegetable sector to ensure smallholder farmers are competitive and have access to quality agricultural products with opportunities to share knowledge and adopt improved sustainable production practices.

EWS is working with over 4,000 smallholder farmers in other parts of Myanmar and across South East and South Asia. MEDA is currently active in 29 villages in Kayin, improving rice production and working closely with the private sector. Under this initiative, EWS provides training to farmers and input suppliers, and incentivise seed promotion and MEDA is embedding a ‘female lead farmer’ approach while generating lessons learned to be shared with agribusinesses and other stakeholders. DFAT is providing critical co-investment and high-level advocacy.

This partnership creates shared value by reconceiving product and markets, redefining productivity in the value chain and enabling local cluster development. EWS already has good market share for its vegetable seed sales in Myanmar, however, not across all parts of the country. This initiative allows EWS to grow its seed sales in a new state, Kayin, which is rebuilding following 60 years of armed conflict.

Supply chain actors, including input suppliers, traders and wholesalers will benefit from the availability of new products and business opportunities. Around 6,000 farmers will increase their productivity and incomes through access to new, higher yielding vegetable seed varieties and the use of better farming techniques.

Gender

This initiative promotes women’s economic empowerment by improving female farmers’ knowledge and practices in growing market vegetables and forming new market linkages for the sale of their products. In addition, it enhances women’s voices in community leadership by promoting female lead farmers and sales agents.

The partnership provides training for 60 female and 30 male lead farmers. Early research shows women farmers are more likely than male farmers to share learnings with others in their community and are often more diligent in applying new knowledge than their male counterparts. The partnership aims to show how and why women farmers benefit the household and wider community, as well as agribusiness.  The wider target, using the lead farmer model, is to improve the knowledge, productivity and income of 6,000 farmers of which 60 per cent are women.

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