Experience with COVID-19 in many countries has revealed the vulnerability of agri-food value chains to disruption arising from income loss and restrictions on the movement of produce, workers, and service providers. Careful monitoring of COVID-19 impacts on agri-food value chains can guide policies and interventions to minimize potential disruption.
On July 22, 2020, IFPRI-Myanmar and the Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity held a virtual policy seminar presenting the findings of recent phone surveys on Myanmar’s agri-food value chains. In collaboration with Proximity Designs, Mercy Corps, and Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd., the seminar offered an analysis of the current situation, based on the results of large phone surveys that had recently been fielded with crop value chain agents (farmers, input retailers, output traders, millers, mechanization service providers). Additionally, the speakers discussed COVID-19’s impact on crop value chains through the perspectives of government, private sector, and development partners, and highlighted possible actions to keep crop value chains functioning during these challenging times.
Moderator:
Matt Curtis (Feed the Future Coordinator, USAID/Burma)
Speakers:
Joey Goeb (Research Associate, Michigan State University) - Impact of COVID-19 on the Agricultural Trade Sector
Thet Hnin Aye (Social Impact Lead, Proximity Designs) - Impact of COVID-19 on Farmers in Rural Myanmar
Wahyu Nugroho (Market and Agricultural Specialist, Mercy Corps) - Impact of COVID-19 on Smallholder Farmers and Food Systems in the Ayeyarwady Delta
Panelists:
U Tin Htut Oo (Head of Agribusiness Group, Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd., and Director General (Retired), Department of Planning, MOALI)
Duncan Boughton (Policy Adviser, Department of Planning, MOALI and Professor, Michigan State University)
