Agriculture Policy and Rice Production: Comparative Study of Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam

The Agriculture sector has over decades been the driving engine of economic growth and development in Myanmar. Although the rice economy of Myanmar made massive global supply as it demands exceeded its supply in the 1930s that through this period Myanmar was recognized as the ‘’Rice Bowl of Asia’’ and was recorded as the leading exporter in the world, however, Myanmar was unable to hold on to this proactive economic and agricultural history that it has written. Myanmar is faced with several rice production deficits since its political destabilization coupled with higher tax system which hinders or impede foreign investors to be attracted , low trusty between departments, private organization and farmers, technological holdbacks and inadequate required skilled human resource and low infrastructures development (being it Physical and Technical). Today, Myanmar’s rice industry is no more the predominant industry in the world. This study was conducted by comparing with Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, three countries’ agriculture policy and rice production from the1960s to 2010s. This study emphasizes on three main indicators that are rice production, rice consumption, and rice trade. In this study, apply to analyze the research, a mix methodology- policy learning theory, Microsoft excel, interview, secondary data, and scholar literature. The finding of this study showed that all process of agriculture policy and rice production in Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam. This research showed that lacking the Myanmar agriculture policy and rice production compare with other two countries with various reasons. However, the main of the reasons were the lacking managements of the government in unstable political situation and collaboration with international and national partners in the rice industry.