Myanmar’s emerging coffee sector: Opportunities and constraints

Policy brief 23 Sep 2019 Firms

Authors

Myanmar is home to ideal conditions for coffee cultivation, but the sector is still in its infancy.
Growing demand in the region and increasing interest in high-quality coffee in developed markets presents a significant opportunity for expanding cultivation.
Exports of coffee from Myanmar have increased in recent years. However, much of what is exported is sold to border traders at prices substantially below international commodity values.
This brief looks at the potential opportunities and constraints for the coffee sector in Myanmar.
The authors highlight the following constraints facing Myanmar’s coffee sector: poor production technologies; a lack of infrastructure; small-scale agricultural production; a lack of a developed value chain linking growers to consumers; poor competition among farmers; and quality that can be improved