ASIA put R s
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I want to be seen as one of the successful women entrepreneurs in
Myanmar .
Access to the right inputs ( fertilizers , seeds , herbicides , etc .) has always played a vital role in the success of IFDC ’ s partner farmers . Because of this , IFDC focuses on developing agro-dealers into competent sellers , able to give the best agricultural advice to farmers while providing high-quality and appropriate inputs .
In line with this focus , IFDC ’ s Fertilizer Sector Improvement ( FSI +) project in Myanmar collaborated with Syngenta to conduct agro-input retailer training programs in the Delta regions of Yangon , Bago , and Ayeyarwaddy , and in all townships in Southern Shan State . The trainings aim to transform agroinput retailers from simple family shops into modern one-stop-shop agribusinesses where farmers can come to buy appropriate inputs and learn good agricultural practices ( GAPs ) from the store owners . In addition , trainees learned advanced business management practices , such as marketing , networking , and bookkeeping .
One trainee , Daw Hay Mun Hnin Wai , runs her family ’ s agro-input business in the Bago Region of Myanmar . Attending the training gave her a new perspective and inspired her to take the first steps toward selling her products to rural areas by expanding her shop ’ s presence into more townships . In addition , she and another attendee decided to start a new business to increase awareness of GAPs .
“ I want to sustain my business in the future and to help my farmer customers increase their income using the knowledge I now have about agricultural products and farming technology ,” said Daw Hay Mun . “ I want to be seen as one of the successful women entrepreneurs in Myanmar .”
The FSI + project ensures that women play vital roles in project trainings and other activities . According to Grahame Hunter , FSI + Chief of Party , “ Women comprised more than 45 percent of training participants in 2016 . Involving and empowering them will continue to be a major project focus in the future .”
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