Myanmar's Absent Soil Stewards

Ba Gyi* (over 50) has been farming all his life. His parents and grandparents had also relied on a six-acre plot of land to grow rice and beans near Meza Creek in central Myanmar’s Sagaing Region. Annual flooding has kept the soil fertile, keeping the family afloat, if not prosperous. 

Things started changing 10 years ago, however, when the annual monsoon stopped leading to floods. His soils degraded and, in a panic, he started using more and more chemical fertilizers to maintain the productivity of his farmland. But it was a losing battle.

His arable land has now dwindled to a mere two acres as a result of degradation, only enough to feed his family. "I am currently selling goods to make ends meet for my family, as my income from farming alone is insufficient," said the man, who has a family of nine.

Another farmer from Indaw said he could no longer accurately predict his crops’ yield based on the condition of the fields.

"I don't know what has happened now. I’m not sure if the soil has lost its fertility. We're no longer able to harvest beans or rice either. The minerals in the soil seem to be mixed with some kind of metals and depleted. We have to farm out of necessity, even though we might not want to," he said.

Meza Creek flows more than 80 miles from the northern Kachin Mountain range through Indaw townships into the Irrawaddy River to the south. Half of the essential food needed for the Indaw Region is sourced from the farms along the banks of the Meza Creek. 

Currently, Meza Creek is also affected by an explosion in the number of illegal mines, which is is accelerating a decline in soil fertility.

The contamination of water with cyanide and other toxic substances released from gold mining sites degrades agricultural land, residents believe. Local farmers said that although some of them pumped water into the fields in recent years, the crops did not thrive.

The decline in soil quality is occurring in many regions of the country, according to a soil scientist from Myanmar who has previously worked on agricultural research and soil conservation initiatives across the nation and wished to remain anonymous out of fear of government reprisal for speaking to the media

"Across various regions, we have observed a common deficiency in soil quality—despite its abundance, nutrition is alarmingly scarce,” the scientist said, preferring to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation. “The availability of essential nutrients such as organic matter, phosphorus, and potassium is notably less."

The combination of reliance on agrochemicals, a lack of awareness about how to use them correctly, successive governments’ neglect of soil fertility and a focus on extractive activities like mining and deforestation have depleted the country’s once-fertile soils, according to multiple interviews with farmers, environmentalists and scientists.

The 2021 military coup has worsened the situation by halting all documented soil conservation and restoration activities while accelerating extractive practices that are harmful to the soil. These changes raise serious concerns about long-term food production in Myanmar, one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, where 26% of the population already requires food assistance, according to the World Food Program.

And amidst the ongoing full-scale civil war following the coup, there is still no comprehensive remedial plan for soil conservation in Myanmar.

Erosion of Soil Impacts Livelihoods 

According to the National Action Plan for Agriculture in Myanmar issued in June 2016, problem soil occupies an area of nearly 1 million hectares in Myanmar (roughly the size of the main island of Hawaiʻi), which is 5.3% of the total cultivable land. If this soil is eroded, it will take many years to reclaim it, requiring a large budget, mechanization, scientists, and technicians. However, it will never be returned as a natural endowment. Burmese researchers have assessed that it is no longer feasible to restore this land to its original fertile state. Myanmar’s total land area is 67 million hectares, and the Yangon Region covers around 1 million hectares.

Seventy percent of the population of Myanmar relies on agricultural activities for household income. During the colonial period and subsequent parliamentary era (1948-1962), Myanmar, once known for its fertile land, was one of the leading exporters of rice in the global market.

However, this situation has gradually deteriorated due to the mismanagement of successive governments. Around the 1980s, when Green Revolution initiatives were implemented to increase rice production, the Burmese government provided farmers engaging in traditional agricultural practices with free chemical fertilizers.

However, since farmers did not learn how to use chemical fertilizers systematically, the land became saline and damaged, according to U Thein Soe Min, co-founder and manager of the Greenovator organization, which focuses on agricultural education.

"From there, the disease of dependency on chemical substances started to emerge. It has become so bad that we cannot continue without adding chemical fertilizers or spraying pesticides," he said.

Currently, Myanmar is only able to export about 2 million tons of rice and rice by-products to the global market, and buyers usually purchase Myanmar rice only when there are no other options available, as recently stated by the Myanmar Rice Federation on a business news Facebook page. The Federation’s objective is to export up to 4 million tons annually by 2025.

Soil Initiatives Stalled Post-Coup

In Myanmar, government activities related to environmental conservation, including soil conservation efforts, have come to a standstill since the military coup. As conflicts across the country have continued, it has become increasingly difficult to collect environmental data, leading to the suspension of soil conservation initiatives as well.

Before 2021, there were about 11 international organizations collaborating with the Myanmar Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Research.

These organizations were involved in various activities related to maintaining the quality of the country's soil, including data collection, research, awareness-raising, and providing technical and financial assistance throughout the country.

One agricultural expert, who wishes to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, has collaborated with international organizations. This scient remarked, "At one point, the projects anticipated to benefit Myanmar have ended up being diverted to neighboring countries. Upon reading their annual reports, I feel sorrow, reflecting on what Myanmar deserves to receive. Much of what we hoped for has regrettably vanished."

Another resident of Indaw, who also wishes to remain anonymous, said that until 2021, gold mining and related activities in the Meza Creek and associated rivers was somewhat limited. But after the coup the number of gold mining sites in the Meza Creek and related rivers increased sixfold, and agricultural land has been abandoned due to the waste from these mining operations being discarded nearby, he said.

“The sand and stones left over from gold mining are disturbing for cultivation. Since they are not fertile soil but rather just sand and stones, it is not possible to farm on them, crops cannot be grown either,” he added. 

As of this writing, the Indaw Township is almost under the control of armed resistance groups, and government offices, including those responsible for regional agriculture, were closed due to ongoing conflicts following the coup. There is no one available to monitor or restrict these gold mining activities.

The parallel government, the so-called National Unity Government (NUG), has appointed agricultural officers in some controlled areas. In Indaw Township, the agricultural officer has been educating local residents on the use of sustainable agricultural practices, including farming with organic fertilizers in place of chemical options. These alternative methods have not yet led to renewed efforts to restore degraded land, however.

A 40-year-old organic farmer, Ko Myo*, from Pyay Township, the central region of Myanmar along the fertile plains of the Ayeyarwady River, said that it has been a considerable time since he has witnessed earthworms thriving in the soil of their region.

He expressed, “In my youth, I could find those little insects wherever I went. Now, to catch them for fishing, I must venture deep into the woods and search through the mud.”

According to soil scientists, earthworms are crucial for soil health as they improve aeration, enhance nutrient cycling, support microbial communities, decompose organic matter and regulate soil structure and pH, making them key indicators of fertile ecosystems.

In the past, agricultural research experiments conducted by the Department of Agricultural Research of Myanmar have focused on improving food security and nutrition across the country through innovative crop variety and production technologies. However, following the coup, this research has been limited within the campus of Yezin Agricultural University in Naypyidaw and nearby areas, where the military government is at its strongest, according to the reports from the Department of Agriculture’s website. The rest of the country, meanwhile, is being deprived of investment in soil science, technical advice and services to support food production. 

Unfortunately, organizations capable of caring for Myanmar’s soil are few and far between amid the country's current political and social upheaval.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) had been implementing a project in Myanmar that was to run from 2020 to 2022 and aimed to reduce the production gap of rice production in Asia and develop a sustainable agriculture system.

For this project, IRRI provided support to the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Agricultural Research. They collected soil and water data from across the country to develop indicators of soil health. But when the military coup took place in 2021, the IRRI suspended this project.

In response to an email inquiry regarding prospects for continuing soil conservation efforts, a representative from IRRI replied that, as it is currently not operating in Myanmar, it is unable to provide any further information on the matter.

Indaw resident Ba Gyi predicts that if deforestation, drought and soil degradation continue, the region's food security and  livelihoods could be severely jeopardized within the next five years.

Ko Myo, who practices organic techniques in Pyay Township, expressed frustration about not being able to farm effectively due to the current neglect of soil quality.

“If no one is monitoring the situation, it will only get worse,” he said.

Misuse and overuse of chemical fertilizers over a long period of time have affected cultivated lands and now, adding them alone no longer improves yields, the anonymous soil expert told Myaetlatt Athan.

“Now, it has become necessary to use natural soil nutrients. To ensure that the soils are productive and to achieve sustainable agriculture, we must work diligently," the expert continued.

Severe Flooding Worsens Soil

In September 2024, Typhoon Yagi damaged 643,081 acres of paddy and other crops, according to reports from the Myanmar military and UNICEF.

Heavy torrential rain, along with flash flooding and landslides, have affected central, eastern, and southern regions of the country. There is growing criticism among the people of Myanmar regarding wildcat mining practices and deforestation in these areas as well.

The damaged agricultural lands will require at least three years of adequate support to regain productivity. Without effective implementation of natural resource management, the risks will continue to escalate, one agricultural expert warns.

“Heavy metals may be present in the water that flows downstream to the farms. This could lead to long-term hardships for all living things, including crops, animals, and humans, who depend on this water,” the expert stated.

Professor Duncan Boughton, of the International Development Department, Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at Michigan State University, said that Myanmar’s agricultural research service was tiny and highly centralized in Yezin, even before the recent crises.

Duncan was resident in Myanmar from January 2016 until the February 2021 military coup, serving as team leader for the USAID Burma-funded Food Security Policy Project and the UN LIFT funded Agri-food Value Chain Development project. 

He emphasized that rebuilding, expanding, and decentralizing Myanmar’s agricultural research system, along with strengthening relationships with private and public extension systems, is essential to reversing soil degradation and enabling agriculture to become a source of rural prosperity and dignified livelihoods.

“Myanmar is a net exporter of rice and maize, which are crops that water scarce neighbors find difficult to produce.  Lower supply of these crops due to soil degradation will require that neighboring countries have to pay more to procure them from alternative sources," he added.

As Myanmar's soils continue to deteriorate amidst a combination of environmental neglect, illegal mining, and political turmoil, the nation faces a crossroads. Without urgent intervention and sustainable agricultural practices, the future of the country’s food security and the livelihoods of millions are at stake. Experts and farmers warn of a rapidly closing window to reverse this decline. In a region so reliant on the land, the question remains—who will step in to care for Myanmar’s soils before it's too late?

*A pseudonym; all names are fictitious unless otherwise indicated so as to protect the identity of individuals who could face government reprisal.

This story was produced with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network for the "Ground Truths" special report and was lightly edited for length and clarity. The original story can be found in Burmese here.

Banner: Zay Yar Myint / Credit: Myaelatt Athan.