This is a Digital Artifact developed for a project assignment submission as part of an online course in “Financing for Development” offer by “edX”.

About the Project:

Assignment: Propose a financing solution that will unlock financial opportunities in a country of your choosing (must be a fragile or conflict state), integrating the IDA Private Sector Window in your solution

Country of Choice: Myanmar

Target Audience: Government officials, policy makers, representatives of public / communities

Focus Area: Rural Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Agriculture through Agri-Infrastructure Development incorporating community based development supported by IFC’s Private Sector Window and a Government Programme.

Method: Role play / imaginary meeting between representatives of Government, community / public forums, IDAs (multi-lateral, bilateral etc.), private sector, NGOs & community organisations, research organisations, banks etc.

They together arrive at a possible multi-stakeholder solution / programme based approach which can be explored or detailed out further.

Disclaimer

All facts and figures as indicated in this document have been sourced from various articles, papers, reports and documents as available on internet in the public domain. Some of the solutions indicated as part of this document have been collated and/or inspired from existing development initiatives in Myanmar and other parts of the world.

The key sources and references are:

1. Kyosuke Inada, “Catalysing Subnational Development in Myanmar : Balancing Local Preferences with National and Sector Policy”, The Asia Foundation, August, 2014
2. IFAD: Investing in Rural People – Republic of Union of Myanmar, Country Strategic Opportunities Programme, Document No. EB 2014/111/R.6, March 04, 2014
3. Thomas Reardon, “Success Strategies for Poverty-Alleviating Rural Development for Myanmar: Lessons from Asian Experience”, Michigan State University, Brief Prepared for National Workshop on Rural Development Strategic Framework Agenda, Naypyitaw, Myanmar, November 18, 2013
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar>  and all links mentioned thereunder

Representative of the Government gives a brief introduction of Myanmar

Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is a sovereign state in South East Asia bordered by Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. About one third of Myanmar’s total perimeter forms an uninterrupted coastline of 1,930 km (1,200 miles) along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country’s 2014 census revealed a population of 51 million people. Myanmar is 676,578 square kilometers in size. Its capital city is Naypyidaw and its largest city and former capital city is Yangon (Rangoon).

Myanmar became an independent nation in 1948, initially as a democratic nation and then, following a coup d’état in 1962, a military dictatorship.

For most of its independent years, Myanmar has seen rampant ethnic strife and one of the world’s longest-running and ongoing civil wars. The military dictatorship was officially dissolved following a 2010 general election, and a nominally civilian government was installed. While some former military leaders still have enormous power, the military has taken steps toward giving up control of the government.

Myanmar is divided into twenty-one administrative subdivisions, which include: 7 regions, 7 states, 1 union territory, 5 self-administered zones and 1 self-administered division. The regions can be described as ethnically predominantly Burman (Bamar), while the states, the zones and Wa Division are ethnic minority-dominant.

States and regions are divided into 67 districts. These districts consist of townships that include 330 townships, 64 sub-townships, 377 towns, 2,914 Wards, 14,220 village tracts (groups of adjacent villages) and 68,290 villages.

The mountain chains divide Myanmar’s three river systems: Irrawaddy, Salween and Sittaung. Majority of Myanmar’s population lives in the Irrawaddy valley.

Agriculture in Myanmar

• Main stay of country’s economy
• Accounts for 60 percent of GDP
• Employs 65 – 70 percent of labour force
• Once Asia’s largest exporter of rice
• Other main crops include pulses, beans, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane, lumber, and fish

Characteristics of Myanmar’s Agriculture

• Slash-and-burn method (shifting cultivation)
• Dependent on monsoon season for water
• Susceptible to fluctuating weather patterns (e.g. 10% drop in production during prolonged 2011 monsoon season)
• Insufficient investment in research, extension, technology transfer, infrastructure development, value chain upgrading and marketing
• Lack of remunerative prices to farmers due to structural reasons leading to declining rural incomes
• While Myanmar yields more than enough food to feed its entire population, many still go hungry for lack of purchasing power

The income gap in Myanmar is among the widest in the world. As of 2014, according to the Human Development Index (HDI), Myanmar ranked at 148 out of 188 countries

Representatives of Farmers and Local Communities voice their opinion

We face following challenges:

• Small land holdings for most farmers
• Marginal employment, we don’t have work in other seasons
• Single cropping, lack of skill set for other crops / activities
• Monsoon dependent, lack of irrigation techniques
• Flooding damages our crops as well as agricultural produce
• Lack of village facilities
• Lack of logistics facilities, bad road and other transport connectivity
• Lack of market access and facilities
• Rice price fluctuations
• Lack of government fund allocation and lack of citizen involvement in local government’s decision making
• In efficient public expenditure and corruption
• Lack of information

Representative of the Government:

The government recognises these challenges as 70% of poor are located in rural areas. The government has identified following as focus areas:

• Priority to provide essential services in rural areas
• Develop markets and linkages to local, regional, national and global levels
• Modernise and improve agricultural practices and productivity
• Improve rural roads with all weather connectivity
• Rural electrification to support irrigations measures
• Improve river navigation, flood control, and reduce vulnerability to disaster shocks
• Skill development to diversify economy, markets, trade, financial institutions
• Improve citizen engagement by encouraging community driven investment planning for local infrastructure and services
• Improve health and education in rural areas

Representatives from International Development Agencies / Assistance:

(IFC’s Private Sector Window)

We think Myanmar needs to look at options for innovative financing and more involvement of private sector resulting in increased commercial potential of SMEs in agribusiness and farmers by connecting value chains at local, regional, national and global levels

Focus: Agri-food security for small farm holders by

• Increasing productivity of small farm holders and improving access to credit, cooperatives
• Supporting innovations to develop technology for increasing productivity and reducing water consumption, promote efficient use of fertilizers and explore multiple cropping of farmland
• Risk assessment and reduction especially for climate proofing, first loss cover, weather insurance, and support SMEs in investment

Private Sector Representatives:

Agri-business Sector is willing to

• Markets: explore business, develop and invest in market facilities and infrastructure
• Logistics: backward and forward linkages to markets and agriculture, distribution centres, collection centres, transportation, renting of farm equipment and materials
• Invest in granaries, warehouses, cold storage facilities
• Invest in research and development in agriculture
• Explore Opportunities in Horticulture and Floriculture

But we lack technical and financial resources, the banks also don’t lend us money

Other business (high value)

• Lots of funds available under Corporate Social Responsibility funding, but we do not know where, what, when and how to fund. Its not our expertise

Concerns of the Local Financial Institutions / Banks

• Expect support from International Development Agencies to gain confidence
• Small farm holders to adopt cooperative approach /self-help groups (SHG) for debt funding for logistics infrastructure as well as investments for agricultural modernisation
• Project advisory of International Development Agencies to guide debt funding in developing logistics facilities like granaries, cold storage etc.
• Loans to farmers for purchasing seeds
• Explore pooled debt funds for funding agri-infrastructure projects to reduce our exposure to risks
• How to evolve an Environmental and Social Risk Assessment Framework for improving our investment efficiencies by reducing risky investments

NGO / Foundation / Research Organisations:

To act as resource centres for:

• Promote cooperative farming and SHG formation
• Training & capacity building
• Skill Development
• Financial literacy of local government, community and MSMEs for efficient use of existing financial resources
• Awareness generation and information sharing platforms / networks
• GIS based planning and micro water shed management
• Best use studies for agricultural land
• Research on modernisation of agriculture

Representatives from International Development Agencies / Assistance:

(IFC’s Private Sector Window)

Great!! We look forward to a programme in Myanmar wherein we undertake innovative and blended financing as follows:

• Long term and short term financing through support and capacity building of location banking / financial markets to ensure access to financial resources for small farm holders and MSMEs
• Equity Capital: to agribusiness supply chain logistics, distribution, food production and process, and other agri-infrastruture
• Insurance: First Loss Cover, Weather Insurance

We will also provide advisory services for

• Climate proofing and Climate smart agriculture
• Data base management
• Result based monitoring systems
• Environmental and Social Risk Assessment Framework for Banking Investments

Representative of the Government:

I thinks it’s a good idea!! We have a programme with IFAD which focuses on developing four kinds of partnerships:

• Structured co-financing with partners: Develop structured co-financing of the country programme, rather than project-by-project co-financing
  • Partners may include the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Export-Import Bank of Korea
  • Focus on infrastructure development, financial services, technologies and capacity-building
  • Seek climate change financing from IFAD Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme, the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environmental Facility
• Private-sector partnerships with national and/or multinational private sector entities
  • Business partnerships with agri-businesses for vertical value chain integration based on contractual relationships with smallholder organizations
  • Financial partnerships with private-sector firms under the corporate social responsibility agenda
  • Partnerships with national private sector to evolve gradually
• Technical partnerships with institutions providing technology and knowledge solutions in favour of smallholders and landless entrepreneurs
  • Relations with ministries and research institutes
  • International organizations for providing policy advice, improved technologies, rural financial services and operational services
• Advocacy partnerships with civil society organizations or NGOs over a period of time

Additional References

• “Burma (Myanmar) – Agriculture”. Encyclopaedia of the Nations
• “Myanmar Agriculture Rice Beans Kenaf Bamboo Products”. AllMyanmar.com
• “East & Southeast Asia :: Burma”. CIA World Factbook
• “Burma (Myanmar) – Location and size, Population, Livestock, Forestry, Fishing, Mining”. Encyclopaedia of the Nation
• Fox, Jefferson M. (2000). “How Blaming ‘Slash & Burn’ Farmers is Deforesting Mainland Southeast Asia” (PDF). East-West Center. 47: 1–8
• Kha, Kyaw. “Burmese Rice Production to Fall Due to Untimely Rain”. Mizzima.com

Financing for Development – Final Project