A look of cassava production in Myanmar(Burma)

Cassava was introduced to Myanmar in the mid-19th century and planted in the coastal and river delta areas of Myanmar and is still widely grown today. In Myanmar, cassava is mainly used in small private factories to produce starch, and can also be used as a snack food, flavoring (MSG) and animal feed processing. In the past, Myanmar did not pay much attention to cassava production, but in recent years it has been considered as one of the new potential crops and can be used as an export crop.

The cassava production in Myanmar planting area is 16,000 hectares with a total production of 211,00 tons and an average production of 12,179 ton per hectare. It is grown throughout the country and is grown mainly in Irrawaddy, Bogoo, Tanintharyi, Yangon and Kachin.

Cassava used to be one of the basic food crops in Myanmar. Farmers planted local cassava varieties in small areas. They usually plant cassava in poor arid areas with little or no fertilization. The average yield of cassava production in Myanmar is 3~15 t/hm. The main intercropping crops of cassava are corn, peanuts, legumes, and bananas.

Cassava production in Myanmar

Due to the rapid development of cassava processing in Myanmar and neighboring countries such as China and Thailand, dried cassava chips and cassava deep processing products(starch, cassava flour, alcohol，etc.) with high added value have great potential in Myanmar's domestic and foreign export markets. Cassava has been transformed from a ration into a cash crop. Although cassava production in Myanma planting is still mainly grown by small farmers plant local or introduced cassava varieties, many farmers are no longer only used for human consumption and raising livestock, but to sell fresh cassava to local starch factories or wineries to obtain higher income. According to the cassava growers in the city of Irrawaddy, the cassava is used as an alternative planting product for opium poppy, the post-planting area is gradually expanding.

Cassava production in Myanmar is grown in large quantities in areas such as Irrawaddy, Kachin State, southern and northern Shan State, and Kayah State. Since 2012, it has been exported to foreign markets. In 2018, Chinese merchants began to purchase cassava roots at a high price.

In the Irrawaddy and Kachin State of Myanmar, the average annual output of cassava is about 3 million bags, 2018, and about 200 tons of cassava is exported to China. In the past year, the price of one kilogram of cassava was 18,000 kyat, and the lowest price of a bag of 2018 was more than 20,000 kyat. At present, there are about 100 large, medium and small machines producing cassava starch in these two towns. Beginning in 2018, many areas of Myanmar began commercial cultivation of cassava, and plans to introduce Chinese varieties. Cassava starch is mainly used in the processing of bread, cakes, biscuits, cookies and other foods. Cassava production in Myanmar exports to foreign countries are mainly exported to China through Muse, and the marine exports are mainly exported to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan and India.