IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v188y2021ics0308521x20308878.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impacts of COVID-19 on agricultural production and food systems in late transforming Southeast Asia: The case of Myanmar

Author

Listed:
  • Boughton, Duncan
  • Goeb, Joseph
  • Lambrecht, Isabel
  • Headey, Derek
  • Takeshima, Hiroyuki
  • Mahrt, Kristi
  • Masias, Ian
  • Goudet, Sophie
  • Ragasa, Catherine
  • Maredia, Mywish K.
  • Minten, Bart
  • Diao, Xinshen

Abstract

The objective of this contribution is to report the initial impacts of measures taken to contain the COVID-19 pandemic on Myanmar's agri-food system. Myanmar is one of several late-transforming low-income countries in Southeast Asia where agriculture still plays a large role in rural livelihoods, and where food prices are a key factor affecting nutrition security for poor urban and rural households. Whereas the economic impacts of COVID-19 disruptions on tourism and manufacturing were obvious to policymakers, the impacts on the agri-food system were less evident and often more indirect. This resulted in the rural sector being allocated only a very small share of the government's initial fiscal response to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Suggested Citation

  • Boughton, Duncan & Goeb, Joseph & Lambrecht, Isabel & Headey, Derek & Takeshima, Hiroyuki & Mahrt, Kristi & Masias, Ian & Goudet, Sophie & Ragasa, Catherine & Maredia, Mywish K. & Minten, Bart & Diao,, 2021. "Impacts of COVID-19 on agricultural production and food systems in late transforming Southeast Asia: The case of Myanmar," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:188:y:2021:i:c:s0308521x20308878
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2020.103026
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X20308878
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.103026?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Byerlee, Derek R. & Kyaw, Dolly & Thein, U. San & Kham, L. Seng, 2014. "Agribusiness Models for Inclusive Growth in Myanmar: Diagnosis and Ways Forward," Food Security International Development Working Papers 189109, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    2. Hein, Aung & Htoo, Kyan & Kham, L. Seng & Win, Myat Thida & Thinzar, Aye Mya & Naing, Zaw Min & Thida, Mi Win & Lei, Ni & Min, Lu & Mwee, Naw Eh & Oo, Zaw & Filipski, Mateusz & Nischan, Ulrike & Van A, 2016. "Rural Livelihoods In Mon State, Myanmar: Evidence From A Representative Household Survey," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259064, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    3. van Asselt, Joanna & Htoo, Kyan & Dorosh, Paul, 2016. "Prospects For The Myanmar Rubber Sector: An Analysis Of The Viability Of Smallholder Production In Mon State," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259518, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    4. Belton, Ben & Hein, Aung & Htoo, Kyan & Kham, L. Seng & Nischan, Ulrike & Reardon, Thomas & Boughton, Duncan, 2015. "Aquaculture In Transition: Value Chain Transformation, Fish And Food Security In Myanmar," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259027, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    5. Fang, Peixun & Belton, Ben & Zhang, Xiaobo & Ei Win, Hnin, 2020. "Impacts of COVID-19 on Myanmar’s poultry sector: Implications for achieving the sustainable development goals," Myanmar SSP working papers 5, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Headey, Derek D. & Goudet, Sophie & Lambrecht, Isabel & Oo, Than Zaw & Maffioli, Elisa Maria & Field, Erica & Toth, Russell, 2020. "Poverty and food insecurity during COVID-19: Evidence from the COVID-19 Rural and Urban Food Security Survey (RUFSS) - June and July 2020 round," Myanmar SSP policy notes 27, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Diao, Xinshen & Aung, Nilar & Lwin, Wuit Yi & Zone, Phoo Pye & Nyunt, Khin Maung & Thurlow, James, 2020. "Assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on Myanmar’s economy: A Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) multiplier approach," Myanmar SSP working papers 1, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Dorosh, Paul & Win, Myat Thida & Van Asselt, Joanna, 2019. "Production shocks, exports and market prices: An analysis of the rice sector in Myanmar:," IFPRI discussion papers 1830, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Belton, Ben & Hein, Aung & Htoo, Kyan & Kham, L. Seng & Nischan, Ulrike & Reardon, Thomas & Boughton, Duncan, 2015. "• Aquaculture in Transition: Value Chain Transformation, Fish and Food Security in Myanmar," Food Security International Development Working Papers 230981, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    10. Fang, Peixun & Belton, Ben, 2020. "Maize production, farm size, and tied credit in Southern Shan State, Myanmar," IFPRI discussion papers 1961, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. Cornish, Peter S. & Birchall, Craig & Herridge, David F. & Denton, Matthew D. & Guppy, Chris, 2018. "Rainfall-related opportunities, risks and constraints to rainfed cropping in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar as defined by soil water balance modelling," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 47-57.
    12. Boughton, Duncan & Goeb, Joey & Lambrecht, Isabel & Mather, David & Headey, Derek D., 2020. "Strengthening smallholder agriculture is essential to defend food and nutrition security and rural livelihoods in Myanmar against the COVID-19 threat: Elements for a proactive response," Myanmar SSP policy notes 2, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Mather, David & Aung, Nilar & Cho, Ame & Naing, Zaw Min & Boughton, Duncan & Belton, Ben & Htoo, Kyan & Payongayong, Ellen, 2018. "Crop Production And Profitability In Myanmar’S Dry Zone," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 275680, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    14. Diao, Xinshen & Aung, Nilar & Lwin, Wuit Yi & Zone, Phoo Pye & Nyunt, Khin Maung & Thurlow, James, 2020. "Assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on Myanmar’s economy: A Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) multiplier approach," Myanmar SSP policy notes 5, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Mather, David & Belton, Ben, 2018. "Mechanization And Crop Productivity, Profitability And Labor Use In Myanmar’S Dry Zone," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 275681, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    16. Diao, Xinshen & Aung, Nilar & Lwin, Wuit Yi & Zone, Phoo Pye & Nyunt, Khin Maung & Thurlow, James, 2020. "Assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on Myanmar’s economy: A Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) multiplier approach [in Burmese]," Myanmar SSP policy notes Burmese 5, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    17. Ragasa, Catherine & Mahrt, Kristi & Aung, Zin Wai & Lambrecht, Isabel & Scott, Jessica, 2020. "Gender, crop diversification, and nutrition in irrigation catchment areas in the central dry zones in Myanmar: Implications for agricultural development support," IFPRI discussion papers 1947, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    18. Headey, Derek D. & Goudet, Sophie & Lambrecht, Isabel & Oo, Than Zaw & Maffioli, Elisa Maria & Toth, Russell, 2020. "Poverty and food insecurity during COVID-19: Telephone survey evidence from mothers in rural and urban Myanmar," Myanmar SSP working papers 3, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    19. Lambrecht, Isabel & Mahrt, Kristi, 2019. "Gender and assets in rural Myanmar: A cautionary tale for the analyst:," IFPRI discussion papers 1894, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Stephens, Emma & Timsina, Jagadish & Martin, Guillaume & van Wijk, Mark & Klerkx, Laurens & Reidsma, Pytrik & Snow, Val, 2022. "The immediate impact of the first waves of the global COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural systems worldwide: Reflections on the COVID-19 special issue for agricultural systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    2. Boglárka Anna Éliás & Attila Jámbor, 2021. "Food Security and COVID-19: A Systematic Review of the First-Year Experience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-18, May.
    3. Manyong, Victor & Bokanga, Mpoko & Akonkwa Nyamuhirwa, Dieu-Merci & Bamba, Zoumana & Adeoti, Razack & Mwepu, Gregoire & Cole, Steven M. & Dontsop Nguezet, Paul Martin, 2022. "COVID-19 outbreak and rural household food security in the Western Democratic Republic of the Congo," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 28(C).
    4. Hiroyuki Takeshima & Ian Masias & Myat Thida Win & Phoo Pye Zone, 2023. "Effects of COVID‐19 restrictions on mechanization service providers and mechanization equipment retailers: Insights from phone surveys in Myanmar," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 323-351, February.
    5. Gatto, Marcel, 2021. "Heterogenous Effects of COVID-19 on Rural Livelihoods in Bangladesh: Evidence from a Panel Study," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315875, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Petro Dikhtiievskyi & Nataliia Zadyraka & Volodymyr Pashinskyi & Liudmyla Chupryna & Volodymyr Dikhtiievskyi, 2022. "Legal regulation of access to public information on the state of use of natural resources," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(2), pages 103-123.
    7. Olena Denysiuk & Ihor Svitlyshyn & Iryna Tsaruk & Olga Vikarchuk & Andrii Dankevych, 2022. "Diversification in the enterprises? activities for sustainable development in the agricultural sector," RIVISTA DI STUDI SULLA SOSTENIBILITA', FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(2), pages 85-102.
    8. Yanqi Xie & Apurbo Sarkar & Md. Shakhawat Hossain & Ahmed Khairul Hasan & Xianli Xia, 2021. "Determinants of Farmers’ Confidence in Agricultural Production Recovery during the Early Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic in China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-22, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Catherine Ragasa & Isabel Lambrecht & Kristi Mahrt & Zin Wai Aung & Michael Wang, 2021. "Immediate impacts of COVID‐19 on female and male farmers in central Myanmar: Phone‐based household survey evidence," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(3), pages 505-523, May.
    2. Henning Tarp Jensen & Marcus Keogh-Brown & Finn Tarp, 2021. "Labour market projections and time allocation in Myanmar: Application of a new computable general equilibrium (CGE) model," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-180, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Sean Irwin & Mark S. Flaherty & Joachim Carolsfeld, 2021. "The contribution of small-scale, privately owned tropical aquaculture to food security and dietary diversity in Bolivia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 199-218, February.
    4. Duncan, Nicolette & de Silva, Sanjiv & Conallin, John & Freed, Sarah & Akester, Michael & Baumgartner, Lee & McCartney, Matthew & Dubois, Mark & Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali, 2021. "Fish for whom?: Integrating the management of social complexities into technical investments for inclusive, multi-functional irrigation," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 22(C).
    5. Filipski, Mateusz & Belton, Ben, 2018. "Give a Man a Fishpond: Modeling the Impacts of Aquaculture in the Rural Economy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 205-223.
    6. Henning Tarp Jensen & Marcus Keogh-Brown & Finn Tarp, 2021. "Climate change and agricultural productivity in Myanmar: Application of a new computable general equilibrium (CGE) model," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-181, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    7. Bekhzod EGAMBERDIEV, 2021. "Household Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic From A Development Economics Perspective - A Review," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(1), pages 15-30, June.
    8. Swinnen, Johan, ed. & McDermott, John, ed., 2020. "COVID-19 and global food security," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 9780896293878.
    9. Value chains and nutrition & Sustainable aquaculture & Hoong, Y. & Tran, N. & Akester, M.J. & Khin, M.S. & Belton, B. & Shamwela, S. & Naw, L. & Noot, S. & Myint, K.T. & Oo, K.M. & Wai, C. & Phyo, E.E, 2021. "Impacts of COVID-19 and options to build resilience and recovery in fish value chains in Myanmar," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 41003, April.
    10. Belton, Ben & Win, Myat Thida & Zhang, Xiaobo & Filipski, Mateusz, 2021. "The rapid rise of agricultural mechanization in Myanmar," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    11. Jeffrey R. Bloem, 2021. "Aspirations and investments in rural Myanmar," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 19(4), pages 727-752, December.
    12. Lindsay M. Jaacks & Divya Veluguri & Rajesh Serupally & Aditi Roy & Poornima Prabhakaran & GV Ramanjaneyulu, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural production, livelihoods, and food security in India: baseline results of a phone survey," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(5), pages 1323-1339, October.
    13. Ines A. Ferreira & Vincenzo Salvucci & Finn Tarp, 2021. "Poverty and vulnerability transitions in Myanmar: An analysis using synthetic panels," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 1919-1944, November.
    14. Woods, Kevin M., 2020. "Smaller-scale land grabs and accumulation from below: Violence, coercion and consent in spatially uneven agrarian change in Shan State, Myanmar," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    15. Elizabeth Opiyo Onyango & Bernard Owusu & Jonathan S. Crush, 2023. "COVID-19 and Urban Food Security in Ghana during the Third Wave," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-24, February.
    16. Belton, Ben & Fang, Peixun & Reardon, Thomas, 2018. "Mechanization Outsourcing Services in Myanmar's Dry Zone," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 279857, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    17. Goswami, Rupak & Roy, Kalyan & Dutta, Sudarshan & Ray, Krishnendu & Sarkar, Sukamal & Brahmachari, Koushik & Nanda, Manoj Kr. & Mainuddin, Mohammed & Banerjee, Hirak & Timsina, Jagadish & Majumdar, Ka, 2021. "Multi-faceted impact and outcome of COVID-19 on smallholder agricultural systems: Integrating qualitative research and fuzzy cognitive mapping to explore resilient strategies," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    18. Ullah, Ayat & Zeb, Alam & Liu, Jinlong & Mahmood, Nasir & Kächele, Harald, 2021. "Transhumant pastoralist knowledge of infectious diseases and adoption of alternative land use strategies in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region of Pakistan," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    19. Tun, Than & Kennedy, Adam & Nischan, Ulrike, 2015. "Promoting Agricultural Growth in Myanmar: A Review of Policies and an Assessment of Knowledge Gaps," Food Security International Development Papers 230983, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    20. Vicol, Mark & Pritchard, Bill & Htay, Yu Yu, 2018. "Rethinking the role of agriculture as a driver of social and economic transformation in Southeast Asia’s upland regions: The view from Chin State, Myanmar," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 451-460.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:188:y:2021:i:c:s0308521x20308878. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.