The principal motivations for this study included Myanmar's size (both in terms of population
and land mass), its proximity to countries such as Thailand, India, China, Malaysia and
Singapore (many of which were until recently among the fastest growing economies in the
world), its membership of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and
comments by several business people from Southeast and East Asia that Myanmar had great
potential to become a major food producer.
Myanmar has a population of 44 million people. The country has the highest adult literacy
rate in Southeast Asia (81 per cent) and uses a familiar legal system (Common Law).
Myanmar has the potential (because of its climate, topography, soil conditions, rainfall,
waterways, agricultural land resources, fishery resources and human resources) to produce an
extensive variety of competitively priced agricultural, livestock and fishery products.
Unlike other countries in Southeast Asia (which have concentrated on industrial
development), Myanmar's national plans promote the development and modernisation of its
agricultural, livestock and fishery sectors. The Government has introduced wide-ranging
changes to encourage private sector and foreign participation in the country's food sector.
These changes have contributed to increasing investor interest from ASEAN and other East
Asian countries.
Generally, Myanmar's economy is complementary to that of other countries in the region.
Myanmar has the resource endowments to become a major food producer. On the other hand,
countries such as Malaysia and Singapore have difficulty in increasing food production. In
the next ten years tariffs on intra-ASEAN trade in manufactured and processed agricultural
goods will be reduced to between 0 per cent and 5 per cent. This should increase food exports
from Myanmar to other ASEAN countries.