The youth are the future of agriculture. However, in the past years, the Agriculture and Farmers Federation of Myanmar (AFFM) saw low participation of youth in agribusiness, which is attributed to the limited access to resources such as land, start-up capital, business mentors, and increasing number of youth moving from rural to urban areas and to other countries to find jobs and earn a better salary.
To solve this problem, AFFM started to define a specific strategy aimed to build up the innovative skills of the youth and to involve more young farmers through creative ideas for improved sustainability and a safe modern agriculture sector. AFFM sent youth members to the Next Generation Agriculture School to help encourage the continued development of the agriculture sector through youth participation.
AFFM also started working with NEED Myanmar School and supported the enrollment of young people interested to be involved in the agriculture sector so they can learn about better farming techniques and labor and agriculture legislation to protect their rights. Now, AFFM has more than 25 young farmers groups in Yangon, Sagaing, Magway and Ayerwaddy Regions and in Kachin, Kayin, Shan, Chin States who successfully attended the 10 months and 6 months training courses, centered on sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, community development, leadership and farmers organizing. Every year, AFFM sends 4 to 5 young farmers to the NEED school in Mawbi Township, Yangon. AFFM, through the MTCP2 Programme, provides students with transportation and other support.
After the young farmers complete the course, they return to their villages and start giving trainings to their communities on sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation. Some of young farmers are now working with their family in farming projects and they earn good salary for their families by selling their products including mushroom and other vegetable and crops, in the market.
AFFM is a member of the Asian Farmers’ Association (AFA) in Myanmar.
About AFOSP-MTCP2
AFOSP-MTCP2 is a capacity building program funded by the European Union (EU) with co-financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The program is being implemented in seven ASEAN countries through the consortium Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and La Via Campesina (LVC). AFOSP-MTCP2 supports the strengthening of national farmers’ organizations (FOs) and their national platform towards improving their institutional capacity to deliver economic services to their members as well as to effectively engage them in policy processes. At the ASEAN level, the consortium AFA – LVC works in partnership with the ASEAN Foundation in expanding the spaces for the engagement of FOs in ASEAN processes.
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