Thursday, March 5, 2020

Participatory message design workshop to accelerate adoption of rice best management practices in Myanmar



The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), through the Agricultural Development Support Project and CORIGAP project, organized a participatory message design workshop in Nay Pyi Taw on 25-27 February. Attended by 25 Department of Agriculture (DOA) staff, the workshop aimed to enhance their capacity in crafting user-friendly print and video materials to better communicate best management practices and technologies for rice production.

The training combined lectures and hands-on activities in making communication materials appropriate for various local audiences. The participants also interacted with Yan Lin Aung and Tin Tin Myint, both experts on hermetic storage and seed systems, to ensure that the information conveyed in the materials is accurate and transferable.  The participants also visited the Farmers’ Channel, a channel that is dedicated to disseminating useful information for Myanmar farmers.



“Before, I didn’t know about making videos and print materials like pamphlets,” said Soe Soe Lwin, DOA state officer who attended the training. “Now, if I am to communicate about new technology, I am confident I can create the material by myself.”

“The adoption of technologies could take a decade or more,” said Dr. Ye TinT Tun, director general of the (DOA). “Providing timely and accurate information about technologies to users is vital to enhance Myanmar’s agricultural sector.  There is more to be done to ensure that the farmers will make informed decisions to adopt these new technologies. IRRI knows Myanmar’s situation and has been implementing projects that bring new knowledge and technology to the country.”



The participatory message design workshop was facilitated by Mr. Gyaw Shine Oo, Ms. Nay Chi, Ms. Reiane Quilloy, and Ms. Carolyn Florey of IRRI.

CORIGAP (Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced Environmental Footprint) aims to improve food security and gender equity, and alleviate poverty through optimizing productivity and sustainability of irrigated rice production systems in China, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

Financed by the World Bank, the ADSP goal is to support the contry’s aim to increase crop yields and cropping intensity in the central plains, contributing to economic development and food security. Currently, the IRRI team has been providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) in the development of economically and environmentally sustainable rice-based production systems and in building capacities of key actors in the agriculture sector


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