Farming knowledge is power
Pest-free fields, cash-full coffers
Farming is an extremely complex activity that requires making hundreds of decisions throughout the cropping cycle. Traditional farm extension is delivered through the public sector but has limited availability in Myanmar. Because vital agronomy knowledge is lacking, Myanmar has some of the lowest yields in the world. On top of it all, farmers are on the front lines of climate change, facing higher risks of losing their crops due to extreme weather patterns.
To combat this, we offer a set of agronomy services that are practical, low-cost and result in higher yields and reduced risk.
Yetagon Farm Advisory Services
Transformational techniques
We provide a range of services to support farmers throughout the growing season. These specialized services include techniques for seed selection, soil health, fertilizer usage, and pest and disease management. Through these services, we teach farmers simple and best-fit techniques that will help them and their families for generations to come.
- Rice Seed Selection
- Fertilizer Management
- Crop Protection
- Trichoderma
- Organic, Homemade Inputs
- Soil Health Diagnostic Service
Rice Seed Selection
Myanmar farmers typically save their rice seeds from season to season. This service helps them select only the best. It’s as simple as placing the seeds in a saltwater mixture — the good-quality seeds sink to the bottom while the bad ones float to the top.
Average Yield Increase: 10-15%
Available Since: 2011
When It Rains, It Pours
A human-centered study
Sesame: Myanmar’s forgotten crop. Overshadowed by paddy, sesame is the second most farmed foodstuff in Myanmar, grown by over half a million in the country’s Central Dry Zone.
For our newest book we’ve again teamed up with our friends at Studio D Radiodurans to conduct an in-depth, on the ground study of the challenges Myanmar’s sesame farmers face. The insights generated will fuel the expansion of our products and services to reach over 100,000 sesame farming families over the next few years.
Discover the potential of Sesame
Paddy to Plate
Foundational research
6 designers. 19,227 photos. 120 ethnographic interviews. 500+ miles on motorbikes.
We teamed up with Studio D Radiodurans to explore the current state of rice farming and uncover new opportunities for supporting Myanmar’s smallholder farmers. The result is our book, Paddy to Plate. These in-depth insights drive the design of our agronomy services to meet the needs and contexts of our customers.
Explore Myanmar's rice ecosystem
Resilience after the storm
How our agronomy services began
A few months after Cyclone Nargis hit in May 2008, farmers in the Delta region began planting another season of rice, in hopes that they would regain some of their income for the year. Unfortunately, this new crop was destroyed by a pest infestation that none of the thousands of farmers hit, knew how to stop. They were left on their own.
Our advisory services were born in response to this natural disaster. These services are designed to increase yields, and in turn, farmers’ incomes.
Meeting farmers where they are
Many rural families in Myanmar live in remote places, which affects their ability to access the most up-to-date farming advisory support. So we bring it to them. We deliver our services through a network of field agronomists who travel on boats, buses and motorbikes to reach hundreds of villages.
We’re always aiming to make it easier for farmers to access knowledge. To provide services at lower costs and leverage the in-person trust we’ve built, we also use a Facebook Messenger chatbot, Viber, SMS and a contact center and hotline as delivery channels. This brings timely, targeted knowledge straight to farmers’ phones.
Rice fields and grapevines
85% of our customers share what they learn from our services with others in their communities, leading to lasting scalable impact beyond the reach of our staff.
His acres are the best in the village now. Everyone asks him for advice!- U Tin Oo, neighbor of our customer, U Khin Maung Than, Aye Ywar Village
Yetagon Farm Advisory Services by the numbers
Total townships served
Customers in the last two years
Target for FY2023
Annual average income increase per customer
The farm advisory squad
Agronomists, soil scientists, farmers and technologists make up the 225-member team supporting farmers throughout the season in over 3,700 villages nationwide.
Here are just a few of our team leaders: Man Cha Koe, Sann Aung Thu, Theint Darli Soe, Tun Min Latt, Paing Hein Htet, Sandar Kyay Mone and Phyu Hninn Nyein.
