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4.5. The most recent Agriculture Policy Statement dates from 2016. The Agriculture Development Strategy 2018 aims to operationalize the Agricultural Policy for the FYs 2018/19-2022/23. Its priority objective is to improve food security, safety and nutrition. Furthermore, Myanmar adopted (...) the Myanmar Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy(...).

4.12. According to the authorities, Myanmar does not provide any input subsidies, including for fertilizers and irrigation equipment (...) For water tariffs, the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department collects taxes in accordance with the provision of Chapter 3 of the Water Tax and Embankment Tax Law, 2017 (...).

4.17. The National Rice Reserves Supervisory Committee was established on 7 January 2012, with the mandate to purchase rice on a tender basis from states and regions, donate rice to areas affected by natural disasters, and sell rice to domestic consumers or export surpluses. The Committee established the bidding rules and regulations in 2012, and determines the region for intervention, and the price and purchase volumes. The bidding floor prices are set in terms of the lowest purchase price based on production cost. (...)

4.24. Myanmar is one of the world's main suppliers of (natural) teak. Forestry products contributed 0.7% to exports in 2018 (...) The forest cover decreased between 1990 and 2015 (Table 4.2). Over 5,000 km2 per year were lost due to deforestation between 2010 and 2015, which according to the FAO was among the highest net declines in forest cover in the world. The contribution of the forestry sector to GDP declined sharply during the review period, notably in FY 2016/17 (down 60%), as the Government imposed a country-wide moratorium on timber harvesting during that time [10]. In the Bago Yoma region, a 10-year logging ban has been in place since FY 2016/17.

[10] Restrictions are also in place on hand chain saws in order to combat illegal logging. The Community Monitoring and Reporting System (CMRS) was implemented to control illegal logging and associated trade. Local communities cooperate with the Government to transfer unregistered chain saws to the regional Forest

4.25. With the aim of containing deforestation and forest degradation, Myanmar implemented a scheme of shifting cultivation and introduced a mechanism called Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Participating developing countries may receive REDD+ incentives from international sources for reducing CO2 emissions from land use (and change thereto), including forestry.

Table 4.2 Changes in land use, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015
Categories: Forests
Area ('000 hectares)
1990: 39,218; 2000: 34,868; 2005: 33,321; 2010: 31,773; 2015: 29,041
(...)
Categories: Other wooded land
Area ('000 hectares)
1990: 19,498; 2000: 19,703; 2005: 19,908; 2010: 20,113; 2015: 15,080

4.26. Forestry policy is implemented mainly by the Forest Department of the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry (MOECAF); the state-owned Myanmar Timber Enterprise (MTE), which is part of the MOECAF; the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee; the Department of Trade; and the Myanmar Customs Department. The main legislation governing the sector includes the Forest Law, 2018; the Biodiversity and Conservation of Protected Area Law, 2018; the Environmental Conservation Law, 2012; and the Myanmar Investment Law, 2016. [11]

[11]The Forest Rule and the Biodiversity and Conservation of Protected Area Rule were drafted for the implementation of the Biodiversity and Conservation of Protected Area Law, 2018, and the Forest Law, 2018.

4.27. The Forest Department manages two categories of forests that collectively constitute the gazetted Forest Lands: the Reserved Forest (RF) and the Protected Public Forest (PPF). The RF is of higher commercial value, and the public has no harvesting rights. The PPF is of lower commercial value, and the public has some harvesting rights. According to the Biodiversity and Conservation of Protected Area Law, the Forest Department also designates Protected Areas (PAs) to preserve diverse ecosystems and species richness (Table 4.3).

4.28. The 10-year Myanmar Reforestation and Rehabilitation Programme was launched in 2017/18. The Government aims to increase the forest cover under Permanent Forest Estates [12] to 30% of the land area, and to 10% under the PA system. The Programme also aims to enhance the restoration and rehabilitation of forest cover related to climate change (...).

[12] Permanent Forest Estate (PFE) = Reserved Forest (RF) + Protected Area (PA).

Table 4.3 Reserved Forests, Protected Public Forests, and Protected Areas, 2019
Legal classification: Reserved Forest (RF); Protected Public Forest (PPF); Total RF + PPF (Forest Land); Protected Area (PA)
Area (million acres): 29.7; 12.9; 42.62; 9.8
% of land area: 17.8; 7.7; 25.5; 5.8