PRODUCE
SOURCING PRODUCE FROM SMALL-SCALE FARMERS
We buy as much produce as possible from small-scale farmers. This helps them to build sustainable businesses and improve their livelihoods.
We are currently planning a pilot to better work directly with farmers in Magwe State. One of our key issues is explaining that if they continue to deliver high quality produce, with our guidance, we will buy from them for years to come.
We are keen to support farmers in best practices and enhance the benefits of nitrogen fixing in our crops. After this pilot, we will roll it out to the other regions.
We would like the Myanmar BPO industry to prioritize farmers more. Right now, it is the brokers who make the most money from this business. There is a significant urban–rural divide in Myanmar, with a much higher rate of poverty in rural areas. Most rural livelihoods are based on shifting cultivation or rain-fed agriculture.
VALUE ADD FOR GREEN MUNG BEANS
Limited electricity in rural Myanmar means that farmers can only sell raw (unprocessed) products to the market. We transport these using our fleet of trucks, working closely with logistic companies who are familiar with the products. We prize coordinated and efficient efforts to move our produce. Some distances are over 600 km to Mandalay region and Shan State; others are just 60 km to Bago state that is very close to Yangon.
However, we are also working with farmers in Magwe State to value add their raw produce. We are helping them to polish their green mung beans prior to selling to us. They can earn double the money for this value addition.
The Central region of Myanmar is world-famous for green mung beans. Globally, most of these beans are grown in Argentina and Myanmar – we even produce more than India.
HARVESTING OUR BEANS AND PULSES
BLACK MATPE BEANS
Harvest time: February and March
URAD CHILIKI
Harvest time: January
URAD GOTA
Harvest time: March and July
URAD DAL
Harvest time: December
GREEN MOONG BEAN
Harvest time: February and March
RED KIDNEY BEANS
Harvest time: January
MOONG DAL
Harvest time: March and July
LAB LAB BEANS
Harvest time: December
TOOR WHOLE
Harvest time: February and March
CASHEW NUT
Harvest time: January
TOOR DAL
Harvest time: March and July
NIGER SEEDS
Harvest time: December
Harvest is a very busy season. Our farmers mostly harvest in the morning and the late afternoon when it is cool. Harvesting in the cool of the day helps maintain the quality of the produce. Farmers use traditional knives that look like a sickle with a hook for harvesting. They are skilled at using the sickle, working as fast and efficiently as their parents and grandparents did.
Harvest is about three weeks. It is a joyful time with families working together and often singing folk songs. It is happy as people are reaping the benefits of their hard work.
One of the standout features of trips with my father was going to the mountainous Shan State where niger seeds are grown. The striking mountains rise from the plains of the Irrawaddy River. This region is blessed with abundant rainfall and people depend on agriculture.
A quarter of our business in Shan State is dedicated to niger seeds, rainfed and grown over three months from May to August. Our product sales are timed to fit perfectly into the niche window for India and China.
In Shan State, farmers grow other crops including rice, peas, and avocados. Niger seeds can replace nitrogen in the soils, so farmers do not have to use chemical fertilizers. This environmentally friendly farming supports high yields and more diversified incomes. We are keen to help farmers maximize the benefits of pulses and oil crops for healthier soils and better livelihoods.