SAGAING, MYANMAR — Soil degradation and the lack of assistance and scientific research following the military coup in Myanmar have severely impacted millions of farmers, whose livelihoods depend on the once fertile land.
Ba Gyi*has been farming for half a decade. Like him, his parents and grandparents had relied on a 2.4-hectare plot of land to grow rice and beans near Meza Creek in central Myanmar’s Sagaing Region.
Annual flooding has kept the soil fertile, keeping the family afloat.
Things started changing 10 years ago when the annual monsoon stopped leading to floods.
His soils degraded and he started using more and more chemical fertilizers to maintain the productivity of his farmland. But it was a losing battle.
His arable land has now dwindled more than half due to degradation, only enough to feed his family.
“I am currently selling goods to make ends meet for my family, as my income from farming alone is insufficient,” said the man, who has a family of nine.
Meza Creek flows more than 128 kilometers from the northern Kachin Mountain range through Indaw township into the Irrawaddy River to the south. Half of the essential food needed for the area is sourced from the farms along the banks of this creek.
Its water is affected by chemical overuse and an explosion in illegal gold mines, which releases cyanide and other toxic substances into the creek. Residents, including Ba Gyi, believe they degrade agricultural land.
Indaw is not the only place experiencing a decline in soil quality. It is occurring in many regions of the country, according to soil scientist Myo Aung*.
“Across various regions, we have observed a common deficiency in soil quality. Nutrition is alarmingly scarce,” he said. “The availability of essential nutrients such as organic matter, phosphorus, and potassium is notably less.”
The combination of reliance on agrochemicals, a lack of awareness about how to use them correctly, successive governments’ neglect of soil fertility, and a focus on extractive activities like mining and deforestation have been the reasons.
The 2021 military coup has worsened the situation by halting all documented soil conservation and restoration activities while accelerating extractive practices that are harmful to the soil.
These changes raise serious concerns about long-term food production in Myanmar, one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, where 26% of the population already requires food assistance, according to the World Food Program.
Amidst the ongoing full-scale civil war following the coup, there is still no comprehensive remedial plan for soil conservation in Myanmar.
Once a fertile land
According to Myanmar’s National Action Plan for Agriculture issued in June 2016, problem soil occupies an area of nearly one million hectares — or around 5.3% of the total cultivable land. Around 70% of the population of Myanmar relies on agricultural activities for household income.
During the colonial period and subsequent parliamentary era between 1948 and 1962, Myanmar, once known for its fertile land, was one of the leading exporters of rice in the global market.
However, this situation has gradually deteriorated due to the mismanagement of successive governments.
Around the 1980s, when Green Revolution initiatives were implemented to increase rice production, the government provided farmers engaging in traditional agricultural practices with free chemical fertilizers.
Since farmers did not learn how to use chemical fertilizers systematically, the land became saline and damaged, according to U Thein Soe Min, co-founder and manager of the Greenovator organization, which focuses on agricultural education.
“From there, the disease of dependency on chemical substances started to emerge. It has become so bad that we cannot continue without adding chemical fertilizers or spraying pesticides,” he said.
Currently, Myanmar is only able to export about two million tons of rice and rice by-products to the global market. Buyers usually purchase Myanmar rice only when there are no other options available, according to Myanmar Rice Federation.
Ko Myo*, a 40-year-old organic farmer from Pyay Township in the fertile plains of the Ayeyarwady River, said that it has been a considerable time since he has witnessed earthworms thriving in the soil of this region.
“In my youth, I could find those little insects wherever I went. Now, to catch them for fishing, I must venture deep into the woods and search through the mud,” he said. “If no one is monitoring the situation [of declining soil quality,] it will only get worse.”
According to soil scientists, earthworms are crucial for soil health as they improve aeration, enhance nutrient cycling, support microbial communities, decompose organic matter and regulate soil structure and pH — making them key indicators of fertile ecosystems.
Scant resources in post-coup
Government activities related to environmental conservation, including soil conservation efforts, have come to a standstill since the military coup.
Before 2021, there were about 11 international organizations collaborating with the Myanmar Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Research.
These organizations were involved in various activities related to maintaining the quality of the country’s soil, including data collection, research, awareness-raising, and providing technical and financial assistance throughout the country.
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was one of those. It implemented a project in Myanmar from 2020 to 2022, aiming to reduce the rice production gap and develop a sustainable agriculture system.
Collaborating with the local agriculture experts, IRRI provided support to collect soil and water data from across the country to develop indicators for soil health.
In response to an email inquiry regarding prospects for this effort, a representative from IRRI replied that it is unable to provide any further information on the matter as it is currently not operating in Myanmar.
“The projects anticipated to benefit Myanmar have ended up being diverted to neighboring countries,” lamented Ko Soe*, an agricultural expert who had collaborated with international organizations before the coup.
“Upon reading their annual reports, I feel sorrow for what Myanmar deserves to receive. Much of what we hoped for has regrettably vanished.”
Agricultural research has been limited within the campus of Yezin Agricultural University in Naypyidaw and nearby areas, where the military government is at its strongest, according to the reports from the Department of Agriculture’s website.
The rest of the country, meanwhile, is being deprived of investment in soil science, technical advice, and services to support food production.
To assist local farmers, the parallel and exiled government National Unity Government has appointed agricultural officers in many parts of the country. They have educated residents on the use of sustainable agricultural practices, including farming with organic fertilizers in place of chemical options.
However, these alternative methods have not yet led to renewed efforts to restore degraded land, especially when people need to prioritize their safety in the war.
Reverse soil degradation
In September, Typhoon Yagi hit northern Myanmar and damaged more than 260,000 hectares of paddy and other crops, according to reports from the Myanmar military and UNICEF.
The damaged agricultural lands will require at least three years of adequate support to regain productivity. Without effective implementation of natural resource management, the risks will continue to escalate, one agricultural expert warns.
Professor Duncan Boughton, of the International Development Department, Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at Michigan State University, said that Myanmar’s agricultural research service was tiny and highly centralized in Yezin, even before the recent crises.
Duncan was a resident in Myanmar from January 2016 until the military coup, serving as team leader for the USAID Burma-funded Food Security Policy Project and the UN LIFT-funded Agri-food Value Chain Development project.
He emphasized that rebuilding, expanding, and decentralizing Myanmar’s agricultural research system, along with strengthening relationships with private and public extension systems, is essential to reversing soil degradation and enabling agriculture to become a source of rural prosperity and dignified livelihoods.
“Myanmar is a net exporter of rice and maize, which are crops that water-scarce neighbors find difficult to produce,” he added.
Lower supply of these crops due to soil degradation will require that neighboring countries have to pay more to procure them from alternative sources.”
*Pseudonyms are used for the safety of interviewees.
This story was produced with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network for the “Ground Truths” special report and was lightly edited for length and clarity. The original story can be found in Burmese here.
