Myanmar struggles with low tapioca exports, emphasizing the need for market promotion, particularly in China. Despite challenges, its strategic location and tapioca's versatility present opportunities for significant foreign income, especially with China and India's demand for tapioca starch.
In 2023, Myanmar's cassava market saw a recovery despite declining consumption. Production surged, led by exports, but faced fluctuations in yield. Despite modern techniques, weather may affect future yields. Thailand and China were key export destinations, with Thailand showing the highest export value growth.
Cassava, introduced to Myanmar in the mid-19th century, has evolved from a traditional food crop to a significant economic commodity in the country. Widely cultivated across various regions, cassava serves multiple purposes, including starch production, snack food, flavoring, and animal feed processing.
The Burma office thanks Luis Manrique, an F2F volunteer from Hawaii, for training twenty participants in Kyonpyaw on advanced cassava farming techniques. Luis hopes farmers will adopt alternative planting methods and practices like mulching and intercropping to increase yields and improve soil quality, noting the community's resourcefulness and generosity.
On January 20, 2015 event in Yangon focuses on Myanmar's potential as a cassava center, featuring discussions on industry investments and trends. Key speakers include Dr. Nyi Nyi of Yuzana Co Ltd and Kyaw Thura of Cassava Starch Association Kyonpyaw. Additionally, Simon Bentley will explore cassava starch as a sugar replacement.
The AGRICOLEGES offers an 8-week course on Cassava Production, developed by Agronomist Joy Adiele. Participants gain insights into planting, management, and harvesting. Ideal for farmers and new students, it covers seed production, nutrition, and post-harvest handling, preparing graduates for various roles in the cassava industry.
Myanmar's cassava starch production faces challenges like limited modern machinery and fluctuating prices but benefits from government support and growing export opportunities. Strategies for knowledge and technology transfer, alongside opportunities in credit access and sustainable production, underscore potential growth, despite threats such as research shortages and environmental concerns.
Myanmar's cassava waste management presents opportunities in renewable energy development but faces challenges like limited technology and government focus. Strategies for knowledge transfer and technology adoption aim to promote low-cost biogas solutions, fostering sustainable growth in the cassava starch industry amidst threats like environmental concerns and weak government leadership.
Cassava cultivation in Myanmar faces challenges like limited technical knowledge and unstable markets, but recent government initiatives and private sector involvement signal potential growth opportunities. Collaborative efforts aim to improve technology adoption and address barriers, highlighting cassava's increasing economic importance in the country's agricultural landscape.