IFDC Annual Report 2014 | Page 21

Into Myanmar Myanmar was once the world’s largest producer of rice, a position which helped secure its place as the secondwealthiest country in Southeast Asia. Beginning in the 1930s, though, agricultural productivity plummeted due to a combination of political and economic factors, including the sharp decline of international rice prices. Despite these temporary setbacks, Myanmar still holds the potential to more than double its rice exports. Rice production has steadily been improving since the 1960s. However, there is still much that can be done. In 2014, the FSI was launched to boost Myanmar’s rice yield by 15-25 percent and its vegetable yield by 5-25 percent using FDP technology. The project will help 80,000 Burmese smallholder farmers. This goal will be met through dialogue with farmers and the introduction of FDP technology. This innovation currently plays an integral role in the restructuring of Myanmar’s agricultural system. First trial runs have shown success in the form of significant yield increases of up to 23 percent when UDP is used, compared with broadcast urea applications. Continued replacement of outdated broadcasting methods with FDP will enable Myanmar to see a continued rise in yield and productivity, leading to increased farmer profits and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from rice production. 19 | 2014 ANNUAL REPORT