3. Despite these strong features, however, Myanmar has seen little or no increase in agricultural productivity for major crops in the last decade. Yields are consistently lower than those of neighbouring countries or the regional average across almost all crops. Only in two main crop categories – rice (89% of the regional average) and beans/pulses (65-150% of regional average) do national yields approach regional averages, and the beans/pulses group are among those least influenced by traditional research and extension programmes. Livestock production is largely traditional and characterised by high losses of animals from disease, while aquaculture has been developed only significantly in coastal areas for semi-intensive shrimp production. The research, extension and education sub-sector must bear at least part of the responsibility for this relatively poor performance.