The Hague, The Netherlands
April 20, 2017
Registered as a foreign company in Myanmar, East-West Seed is engaged in producing and distributing high quality vegetable seeds, as well as providing training to farmers through its Knowledge Transfer activities.
A high level political delegation from Myanmar, led by second vice president of Myanmar, H.E. Henry Van Thio visited the Netherlands from 19-23 April. East-West Seed, represented by Ard Groot (vice chairman of the Supervisory Board), took part in a dinner reception for the Myanmar delegation along with other private Dutch companies who are operating in Myanmar.
Other members of the high level delegation are the minister of Transport and Communications, H.E. U Thant Sin Maung, the chief minister of Yangon, H.E. U Phyo Min Thein, and the chief minister of Ayeyarwady, H.E. Mahn Johnny.
“We are honored to have this opportunity to share with the leaders of Myanmar our efforts to support their agriculture sector and raise the competitiveness of vegetable farmers in the country,” said Ard Groot. “We believe there are excellent opportunities for Myanmar farmers to diversify their income through vegetable production.”
Registered as a foreign company in Myanmar, East-West Seed is engaged in producing and distributing high quality vegetable seeds, as well as providing training to farmers through its Knowledge Transfer activities.
East-West Seed is establishing the country’s first commercial seed processing facility, with the introduction of an internationally-recognized quality assurance system and modern seed processing technologies which add value for the farmers and set new standards for the industry.
East-West Seed products have been sold in Myanmar since 2009 through local distributors, and are well known by vegetable farmers across the country. (Photo: Marlies Wessels)
Despite progress in recent years, poor access to knowledge and limited adoption of technology hamper the productivity of farmers. In response, East-West Seed engages in knowledge transfer activities to promote sustainable and profitable farming practices among smallholders, and cooperates with like-minded organizations such as Mercy Corps, Swisscontact, MEDA, and the Dutch government.
Knowledge Transfer activities currently support smallholders in Southern Shan, Nay Pyi Taw, Bago, Rakhine, Kayin and Magway. (Photo: Marlies Wessels)
“Upgrading technical knowledge of farmers is an integral part of our business strategy for Myanmar. The use of improved varieties alongside better farm practices will upgrade the quality and safety of vegetables in the market, and enable smallholder farmers to take advantage of the opportunities in Myanmar’s transforming domestic economy while improving export viability,” said Mr Groot.
Myanmar is strategically located near major regional markets like China, India, Bangladesh and the ASEAN. There is also high potential for increased land use, as only 19% of land is currently used for agriculture. Water resources are extremely rich: 10 times as much per capita as China and India; and twice as much as Vietnam, Thailand and Bangladesh.
Fresh vegetables for sale at a wet market in Heho, one of the towns surrounding Inle Lake in Myanmar. (Photo: Marlies Wessels)
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