4.3. The Short Game
Options for improving agricultural performance without further institutional or policy reforms center around four strategic axes (Table 5). The first involves improving the productivity of monsoon rice through improved seed quality, better agronomic practices, improved water control, optimized fertilizer and input use, and integrated pest management. As a rough order of magnitude, our discussions with local stakeholders suggest that improved practices among rice farmers could increase productivity and earnings from paddy farming on the order of 25% to 50% over the next 5 to 7 years, even under current conditions. Updating and enforcing pesticide regulations, such as the 1991 requirement to print instructions in Myanmar language, offers an additional quick opportunity to reduce pesticide misuse. Second, promoting diversification into high-value horticulture, poultry, fisheries and small livestock offers prospects for raising returns per acre by a factor of two to ten for both small farmers and landless. A third set of interventions revolves around post-harvest opportunities for reducing losses and increasing market access for Myanmar farmers. The fourth major axis under a Short Game would focus on landless and other vulnerable rural households. One segment of this effort will focus on preparing children of landless and near landless for productive career trajectories in high-productivity agriculture, agribusiness and nonfarm professions by building up their human capital through nutrition programs and enhanced access to improved rural education. Related efforts involve improving safety nets for vulnerable members of the population.
4.3. The Short Game
Options for improving agricultural performance without further institutional or policy reforms center around four strategic axes (Table 5). The first involves improving the productivity of monsoon rice through improved seed quality, better agronomic practices, improved water control, optimized fertilizer and input use, and integrated pest management. As a rough order of magnitude, our discussions with local stakeholders suggest that improved practices among rice farmers could increase productivity and earnings from paddy farming on the order of 25% to 50% over the next 5 to 7 years, even under current conditions. Updating and enforcing pesticide regulations, such as the 1991 requirement to print instructions in Myanmar language, offers an additional quick opportunity to reduce pesticide misuse. Second, promoting diversification into high-value horticulture, poultry, fisheries and small livestock offers prospects for raising returns per acre by a factor of two to ten for both small farmers and landless. A third set of interventions revolves around post-harvest opportunities for reducing losses and increasing market access for Myanmar farmers. The fourth major axis under a Short Game would focus on landless and other vulnerable rural households. One segment of this effort will focus on preparing children of landless and near landless for productive career trajectories in high-productivity agriculture, agribusiness and nonfarm professions by building up their human capital through nutrition programs and enhanced access to improved rural education. Related efforts involve improving safety nets for vulnerable members of the population.
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