MMRDRS
MMRD BULLETIN
March 29, 2024

NEWS
MANUFACTURING

Myanmar launches aquaculture roadmap

Phoe Wa/The Myanmar Times

The government has launched a national roadmap for the aquaculture industry to develop the sector and to illustrate the market opportunities and hurdles.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation launched the National Aquaculture Development Plan 2019-2023 on March 13. The plan aims to provide policy and institutional framework for sustainable development of Myanmar’s aquaculture sector.

The National Aquaculture Development Plan will be in close alignment with other economic development plans such as the Agricultural Development and Investment Strategy, Multi-sectoral National Plan of Action on Nutrition and Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan.

The output of aquaculture increased incrementally at 4 percent every year from 0.75 million metric tonnes to 1.13 million metric tonnes between 2008 and 2016 while the output of capture fishery rapidly rose at 7.47pc annually from 2.77 million metric tonnes to 4.74 million metric tonnes.

Since 2016 the growth rate of aquaculture has risen markedly at 3.38pc in 2016-2017, and 7.79pc in 2017-2018, while that of capture fishery decreased at 1.1pc in 2016-2017, and 2.6pc in 2017-2018.

Developing the aquaculture sector will create plenty of employment opportunities in rural areas. The NADP outlines a broad range of activities to achieve as many as 33 aquaculture development targets. It has a budget of US$125.7 million from 2019 to 2023.

Source: Myanmar Times

Power projects on track for completion

A photo provide by the Ministry Of Electricity and Enerby of of 350 MW power project in Thilawa SEZ 2.

Seven new power plants that are expected to generate more than 1,000 megawatts of additional electricity are being built in Magwe, Shwetaung, Kyunchaung, Ahlone, Kyaukphyu, Thanlyin, and Thaketa, with the aim of fulfilling the projected increase in demand nationwide for electricity during the hot season.

Of the projects, five are being implemented under a tender and two of the projects, a 151.54MW power plant in Ahlone and a 20mw power plant in Kyunchaung being built by Chinese companies.

The other three projects, a 150MW plant in Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State, and a 350MW plant in Thanlyin, and a 400MW plant in Thaketa, both in Yangon Region, will generate electricity with imported liquefied natural gas.

V-Power Co, the Hong Kong-based winner of one of the tenders, work for the power project is on track, with work on infrastructure such as jetties for the docking of LNG-carrying ships, regasification units, pipelines to carry natural gas, and power transmission lines progressing rapidly in Thilawa, Yangon. A 66MW natural gas power plan in Magway has started operating.

The country’s power needs are increasing 15pc to 17pc per year with present power production totalling 3,566 MW. Yangon Region uses 50pc of the total at 1,436 MW and Mandalay Region comes second with over 500 MW. Minister of Electricity and Energy said power demand is expected to rise by 1,500 MW 2019-2020.

Source: Myanmar Times

Myanmar manufacturing lifted by higher output, new orders and jobs

Ko Ko Htay/The Myanmar Times

Business conditions in Myanmar’s manufacturing sector improved at the start of 2020, according to PMI survey data from IHS Markit.  Moreover, the overall rate of growth strengthened following a slight loss of momentum towards the end of last year.

Output, new orders and purchasing activity all increased at faster rates, while employment at manufacturers rose at a near-record pace. The latest survey signalled an ongoing lack of inflationary pressures in the sector. Looking ahead, firms were increasingly confident of higher output over the course of the year.

The PMI rose for the first time in three months to 52.7 in January, from 52.0 in December. The latest figure signalled a solid overall improvement in manufacturing business conditions in Myanmar. It equalled the trend figure set across 2019, which was the highest for a calendar year since the survey began four years’ ago.

Manufacturing production in Myanmar rose for a survey-record fifteenth successive month in January. Moreover, the rate of growth accelerated to the fastest in five months, remaining well above the four-year survey average. Production was again driven higher by growth of new work. The volume of new business increased for the fifteenth month running, and the rate of growth accelerated from December’s three-month low.

January survey data signalled a lack of inflationary pressures in the manufacturing sector. Input prices rose at a marginal rate, while output prices were cut for the second month running.

The forward-looking Future Output Index rose to a six-month high in January, pointing to strengthening confidence in the manufacturing sector at the start of 2020. Companies commented on new products, upgraded machinery and the opening of new sites.

Source: Myanmar Times

Rice export earnings exceed $250 in three months

Image result for Rice exportDuring three months of the current fiscal year, Myanmar earned over 250 million US dollars from the exports of around 900,000 tons of rice and broken rice, according to Myanmar Rice Federation.Till December 27 of 2019-20 FY, Myanmar exported 894,889.703 tons of rice and broken rice worth 256.452 million US dollars.

Myanmar exports rice to the EU and Africa via sea route and China via Muse border trade.During three months, Myanmar earned over 34 million US dollars from exports of over 130,000 tons of rice and broken rice via border trade. Border trade accounted for 15 per cent of the total rice export.Myanmar earned over 220 million US dollars from exports of over 760,000 tons of rice and broken rice via sea route. It made up over 85 per cent of the total rice export.

The MRF is taking necessary measures to deal with the declining rice price in the summer paddy harvest season and the farmers’ difficulties. It is found that the business is weak due to the difficulties in warehouse, paddy drying and transport.In the past, only 11 companies exported rice to China. Currently, more than 40 rice export companies have been chosen. They can export rice to China after the list is sent to China.

Source: Eleven Media

US$8.4 M worth Toyo Ink factory to start run in Myanmar

Image result for toyo ink myanmarThe grand opening ceremony of the Toyo Ink factory worth US$8.4 million is held at Thilawa SEZ in Thanlyin Township on November 30 and will be run starting from December 1. The company has been granted five-year tax exemption from the government as it made the investment in Thilawa SEZ. “They assumed that the business will be good as people from printing and food packaging sectors are taken interested in this business. It will be run in next month,” said the assistant manager.

At the present, the company will be run with 20 staffs and the company took about over a year to prepare for the factory. It will appoint local staffs later. The company is producing ink for printing industry and food packaging products and had investments in 23 countries including Thailand and Indonesia. The company is start established in 1986 and it is intended to expand its business in Myanmar.

A total of 99 per cent of 405 hectares in Zone A of Thilawad SEZ are sold and about 50 per cent of Zone B are already sold. Toyota is building automobile assembled plant on 21 hectares of land space at the Zone B and it is planning to start the production in 2021, according to Myanmar-Japan Thilawa Development Company Limited (MJTD). The MJTD has 2,400 hectares in Thilawad SEZ and Zone A has 405 hectares. Zone B  is being developed in 3 phases.  About 79 per cent of phase 1, 49 per cent of phase 2 and 62 per cent of phase 3 have been sold.

Source: Eleven Myanmar 

Construction of Toyota Myanmar plant kicks off in Thilawa

Related imageToyota Myanmar Co. Ltd held a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site for its new manufacturing plant at the Thilawa Special Economic Zone on Friday, 1 November, 2019. The US$52.6 million plant is expected to be operating from February 2021 onwards. It will produce 2500 Toyota Hilux pickup trucks per year using the semi knock-down method. Around 130 jobs will be created. Toyota currently imports the Hilux, Vios, Rush and other vehicles for sale in Myanmar.

The company’s plan is to ride on rising demand for automobiles in Myanmar. In 2018, more than 18000 new vehicles were sold in the country, which is 2.1 times more than the previous year’s, according to available data. By 2020, automakers estimate that the number of vehicles driven in Myanmar will exceed 2 million. However, Toyota is likely to face strong competition by other car makers which already operate facilities in Myanmar when its plant opens for business in 2021.

Among the competition is Suzuki Myanmar Motor Co Ltd, which claims to now command 60 percent of the market for new cars in Myanmar, according to Keiichi Asano, managing director of the Suzuki Myanmar. The Japanese car maker this year produced 15,000 vehicles compared to 12,000 in 2018, representing a 25 percent increase in year-on-year production, the company said. Japan is now the tenth largest investor in Myanmar, with a total of 117 entities having channeled US$1.2 billion worth of capital into the country since 1988, according to DICA.

Source: Myanmar Times 

Korean cement plant to be built in Thilawa SEZ

The cement manufacturing plant’s opening ceremony was held at LOTTE Hotel on Pyay Toad on Friday evening. The ceremony was attended by officials from the Ministry of Construction, ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Myanmar Mr. Lee Sang Hwa and Kim Jong Sik, Managing Director of Yojin cement plant.

“The plant was built in Thilawa SEZ in 2016 with a US$ 60 million investment by Korea, and the plant started operating in 2018. The plant will manufacture slab cement for the first time for the Myanmar construction sector,” said Ko Aung Pyat Phone, manager of Yojin cement plant.

Slab cement is used in construction. It is made from mixing ordinary cement and powder derived from steel. Although Yojin cement plant can produce 3,000 tons of cement per day, it will produce only 1,500 to 2,000 tons of cement per day, based upon market demand. The plant can produce about one million tons of cement per year.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Singapore’s Wilmar opens facilities in Thilawa

Image result for wilmar flour mill YangonWilmar Myanmar and its partners, National Infrastructure Holdings Co, First Top Group and Riceland International, on Sunday announced the opening of a new flour mill and consumer pack edible oil processing plant in Thilawa Special Economic Zone, Yangon. The mill will have the capacity to produce 530 tonnes of wheat flour per day, while the processing plant will handle 460 tonnes of edible oil a day.

Wilmar Myanmar is a subsidiary of Singapore-listed Wilmar International, one of the largest agribusinesses in Asia. The company trades in palm oil, protein feeds, consumer pack edible oils, sugar, and other food products. Wilmar Myanmar produces the Meizan brand of edible oils and plans to introduce new sauces and food products in the local market.

The company also operates the Wilmar Myanmar Port Terminal in Thilawa under a 50-year build, operate and transfer agreement with the government. For the first six months of the year, Wilmar International reported revenues totalling US$20.2 billion, down by 7.6 percent over the same period last year, and earnings of US$427 million, which is down by around 20pc during the period. This was due to the outbreak of African swine flu in its key markets.

Source: Myanmar Times 

Separate plots planned to establish specialized textile and garment zones in Yangon, Mandalay

Image result for textile and garment industrySeparate land areas are being planned to establish special zones related to textile and garment in Yangon and Mandalay regions, according to the ministry of industry.

Union Minister for Industry Khin Maung Cho said plans were underway to adopt a national level textile policy with the help of Germany’s GIZ with the aim of developing Myanmar’s textile industry, boosting investment by inviting foreign trade partners, getting necessary infrastructure, boosting export market and reducing import.

He said national textile policy is part of National Export Strategy-NES. The minister made such remarks during the activities of his ministry in the third year of the government term. The commerce ministry is taking charge of implementing the NES with 11 sectors. Among those sectors, textile and clothing sector is being implemented by the No (3) Heavy Industries under the ministry of industry by forming a committee.

Source: Eleven Media

Legendary Chang Beer now Brewed & Served Fresh in Myanmar

 Fraser and Neave, Limited (“F&N”) celebrated the launch of commercial operations at Emerald Brewery Myanmar Limited (“Emerald Brewery”), a year after committing an investment of US$70 million in Myanmar. Photos: Emerald BreweryLocal production of Chang Beer begins at the new state-of-the-art brewery, with the launch of nationwide distribution seeing products hit the shelves this week. Bottling come in five formats – 330ml and 500ml cans, 320ml and 620ml bottles and a 30-litre keg.

Chang Beer is kicking off under the motto #TimeForAChange #TimeForChang #ChangBeer, a major commitment by Fraser and Neave Limited (F&N) launching commercial operations at Emerald Brewery Myanmar Limited, a year after committing an investment of a hefty US$70 million in Myanmar.

Emerald Brewery follows the same approach taken at the Chang Beer brewery in Thailand, right down to the water treatment, recipe and ingredients used – ensuring the water’s high purity and adhering to WHO standards. Sustainability and innovation are grounded in the operations at Emerald Brewery in terms of solar, energy-saving, and wastewater treatment – everything a modern state-of-the-art brewery should be.

Source: Mizzima 

HOME PAGE

NEWS BY SECTOR

If you prefer to read previous version with PDF format, click here to go to our bulletin library .

MMRD BUSINESS INSIGHT

MMRD helping clients unlock growth opportunities and shape tomorrow’s Myanmar.

Htoi San Roi
MMRD Insight—Editor
[email protected]