USSEC hosted a farmers’ field day event on August 29, which was attended by 100 people including farmers from different regions, sea food processors, and high level Department of Fisheries staff.
A worry for Myanmar fish farmers is the development of and access to domestic and international tilapia markets. Louis Win Naing Chit from High Liner Foods addressed the access to international markets. Mr. Chit is the general manager for High Liner, which is the biggest purchaser of tilapia products for the North American market. His presentation helped the farmers better understand the International market and quantity and quality requirements. It was also an opportunity for the processors and the farmers to discuss how they need to work together in order to export Myanmar tilapia to international markets.
If Myanmar can export tilapia to other countries, it will have access to the second biggest seafood commodity after shrimp. Tilapia farming is a moderate technology that most Myanmar farmers can master with just minimal training and technical assistance.