Market system analysis - Myanmar

Brewing opportunity

A market systems analysis of the tea sector in Southern Shan State, Myanmar

Short description

The market for Myanmar tea has steadily been growing over the last ten years and looks set to continue. The country is currently the eighth-largest producer of tea globally, with 25% of production taking place in southern Shan State. Two key products are manufactured from raw tea leaves in Myanmar: green tea and fermented tea – the latter an edible product that is seemingly unique to the country. With a fast-growing middle-class, domestic consumption of both tea products is likely to rise. At the same time, Myanmar has developed a niche market for high-quality green tea, with exports reaching as far as Germany, France and the Netherlands.

There is a clear opportunity to build on the recent progress made in the tea sector in Myanmar, and specifically in southern Shan State, whilst improving incomes for tea farmers and generating further employment prospects. This market systems analysis for the UN Cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity explores this by unpacking the sector’s key market constraints and their underlying root causes as a basis for identifying potential project intervention areas. This report complements another analysis conducted on the tourism sector for the same project. Click on the report to learn more about the tea market system in southern Shan State and where opportunities can be created in the midst of rapid change.

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