Burma (Myanmar) - Country Office

1. Overview
2. Country Strategy
3. Priorities
4. Key Program Managers
5. Current Projects
6. Concluded Projects
7. Achievements
8. Relevant Publications
9. Country Office
10. Country Portfolio
11. AusAid and Other Briefs
12. Fellowship Statistics

Country Office

Key indicators and performance for 2006-07

Indicator: Assessment completed of the impact of improved chick rearing and Newcastle disease vaccination on the production and profitability of village chicken-keeping in field locations in Burma

Performance: Simple interventions have proven to be robust and well accepted at the village level.

Achievements from the 2006-07 Annual Report

ACIAR continued its small program of research cooperation, maintaining the focus on food security and nutrition for villagers. Work continued in the project to vaccinate chickens against Newcastle disease. Earlier research made significant gains, and now an extension is consolidating these achievements and ensuring sustainability of the project outcomes. Extension activities originally started in 2005/2006 are now moving beyond the original study site areas and incorporating broader aspects of chicken health. The researchers are increasing awareness amongst village farmers of the economic benefits to village chicken production of chick management and Newcastle disease vaccination. Extension materials (pamphlets, calendars, flipcharts and posters) were developed in the original project and first extension, and these are being expanded to include materials on village chicken health in general. A plan is being developed to ensure best delivery of this extension message, through farmers meetings and possibly plays, radio or television programs.

A new project commenced in early 2007 is designed to help smallholder farmers of the Central Dry Zone (CDZ) of Burma. At present they primarily grow legumes with minimal inputs of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides, and yields are low (about 1.0 tonne per ha). Their food security, nutritional health and livelihoods could be lifted by increasing productivity of pulse and oilseed legumes, and this new project is identifying and distributing high-yielding chickpea, groundnut and pigeonpea cultivars adapted to the cropping systems of the CDZ. The project team is also seeking to increase the productivity of legumes by selecting and testing high-quality rhizobial inoculants (nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in the root nodules of legumes). Scientists in the region are also receiving training on legume improvement and inoculant technology.