Myanmar to increase rice exports in second half of FY25-26

Yangon, Sep 23 (IANS) The Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) has set an ambitious export target of 300,000 tonnes of rice and broken rice per month for the second half of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, according to the federation on Tuesday.

During the first half of the fiscal year, from April to September, Myanmar exported about 200,000 tonnes per month, totalling around 1.2 million tonnes. For the second half, from October 2025 to March 2026, the plan is to increase exports to about 300,000 tonnes per month, U Ye Min Aung, MRF chairman, told Xinhua news agency.

He emphasised that the federation continues to prioritise export-led growth to ensure the comprehensive development of Myanmar's rice sector. This effort is fully aligned with national guidelines and government policies that promote exports, he said.

At present, Myanmar's key export markets are Europe, China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries, especially the Philippines and Indonesia, as well as Africa, he added.

The second half of the fiscal year coincides with the harvest of the monsoon crop and occurs close to the summer crop harvest period, he said.

During this time, market stock levels are very high, resulting in downward pressure on prices. International rice prices are also at relatively low levels.

To safeguard the income of farmers and other stakeholders, it is essential to actively promote rice exports during this period of price weakness, he said.

Additionally, Myanmar plans to cultivate up to 100,000 acres of coffee crops across the country within one to two years, an official from the Department of Agriculture said.

The initiative aims to increase the production of agricultural products for export and ensure benefits for farmers, state-owned daily Myanma Alinn reported.

So far, about 63,226 acres of coffee crops have been planted across the country, the report said.

Currently, two types of coffee are being grown in Myanmar, Arabica coffee and Robusta coffee, it said.

The target areas for coffee cultivation to reach 100,000 acres include Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay, Bago, Ayeyarwady, Mon, Tanintharyi, Sagaing, and Magway regions, it added.

To help achieve the target, the Department of Agriculture will provide coffee seeds, seedlings and technical support, the report said.

--IANS

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