This blog post highlights the results of recent interviews with food vendors in rural and urban areas and in all state/regions of Myanmar as a part of the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey (MHWS) telephone survey (MAPSA 2022a). The purpose of the food vendor component of the MHWS is to provide data and insights to interested stakeholders in order that they better understand the effects of shocks related to COVID-19 and the ongoing political crisis on Myanmar’s food markets. In particular, the note explores (nominal) prices of foods and difficulties in food vendor operations due to the COVID-19 and political crises.
You can view the full research note in English here.
Changes in prices and price inflation
Increasing food prices linked to the ongoing political and COVID-19 crises as well as a global food crisis spurred, in part, by the war in Ukraine pose a major threat to households’ food security in Myanmar. In order to understand changing food prices, we asked food vendors to report prices from March 2022 and from March 2021. Figure 1 presents percentage changes in nominal food prices, which for the majority of items increase between 30 and 50 percent. Most of the foods falling in this range are rich in protein and/or micronutrients – pulses, animal source foods, fruits, and vegetables.
Rice prices have increased the least of any reported food, however a 23 percent increase in this primary staple, for short and long grain rice, which accounts for about 60 percent of caloric intake and 20 percent of household food expenditure, is concerning.
Percentage changes in mean nominal food prices in March 2022 compared to same period in 2021, by food type and urban/rural areas
Global edible oil prices have risen dramatically in response to market disruptions related to the war in Ukraine (a major supplier of sunflower oil) as well as supply shortages and policy shifts in Malaysia and Indonesia (major suppliers of palm oil). Domestic factors including import restrictions imposed by the Government of Myanmar at the end of 2021 and the deprecation of the kyat by about 25 percent between March 2021 and March 2022 have further exacerbated rising oil prices in Myanmar. As a result, in our sample of food vendors, oil prices have increased by 122 percent over the past year.
This blog post highlights one of the many recent surveys and research notes that MAPSA has conducted to assess the emerging constraints that key agricultural actors face and to mitigate the possible impacts of COVID-19 and recent disruptions on rural livelihoods and food security. Additional blog posts are available highlighting MAPSA’s research on the impact of disruptions on key actors in Myanmar’s agri-food system. Surveys are ongoing, and findings and recommendations will be periodically updated.
