MYANMA Agriculture Service (MAS) held a food production course from November 12 to 16 at the Central Agricultural Research and Training Centre in Hlegu in Yangon Division with the aim of helping farmers increase their incomes.

U Thinn Aung, the principle of the centre under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, said the course attracted 18 MAS staff and one trainee from a private company.

“The course was held to teach farmers how to produce foodstuffs from their crops that are competitive in the market,” he said. “The trainees are expected to go back to their home regions and teach what they learnt to local farmers.”

The trainees learnt how to make tomato jam, rice crackers, fried banana chips, pineapple juice and other food-based products.

“The course covered topics such as producing hygienic food, packaging, basic marketing and basic bookkeeping skills,” said Daw Mya Mya Win, an assistant manager from MAS’ Horticulture Section.

“It is a waste of effort to make products for which there is no market. Our primary concern is helping farmers avoid losses due to low market demand for their crops,” she said.

U Thinn Aung said market demand for seasonal crops decreases after the harvest, making it difficult for farmers to sell their crops at fair prices.

“But if they can preserve their crops in the form of foodstuffs that can be sold over a longer period their income can increase,” he said.

Daw Mya Mya Win cited tomatoes as an example.

“The price of tomatoes sometimes drops to K30 a viss (3.6 pounds), which is much lower than production costs. So farmers who sell at that price lose money. But if they can use their tomatoes to make jam or ketchup they don’t have to sell at such a low price and their income will increase,” she said.

One trainee at the course, U Tin Maung Htay, who manages Gone-hnyin-wun orchard run by MAS, said he lost money last year on his mango crop.

“Fruit wholesalers at Thirimingalar Market in Yangon said they couldn’t buy my mangoes because their shops were already fully stocked. So I lost about 5000 pieces of fruit that I couldn’t sell,” he said.

“If this happens again, now I know how to make my fruit into dried mango paste so it won’t go to waste,” he said.