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4771, Aihara-machi, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-0211 Japan URL : http//www.idaca.or.jpTel: +81-42-782-4331 Fax: +81-42-782-4384 E-mail: idaca-idaca@j.email.ne.jp

Upon receiving grant aid from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), IDACA started a project for the “Joint Pur-chase and Joint Use of Agricultural Machinery through the Building of Farmers’ Organizations” in Myanmar.

In Myanmar, about 70 percent of its population of approxi-mately 51.41 million people are engaged in agriculture, and agriculture accounts for about 40 percent of the country’s GDP, which is the highest rate among all countries in Southeast Asia.

No. 104July. 30, 2015

Myanmar Project Starts

Myanmar Project Starts ----------------------------------- 1Status Updates from Yangon ----------------------------- 2REPORTS ON TRAINING COURSES(1) FY2014 JICA Training Course on Planning of Agricultural Policy -------------------------- 3(2) FY2014 ICA/Japan Training Course on Improving Capacity of Rural Women ---------------- 4(3) FY2014 JICA Training Course on Agribusiness Promotion and Rural

ContentsDevelopment in African Countries -------------------- 5REPORTS ON OVERSEAS SURVEYSReport on ICA/Japan Training Course Follow-Up Guidance and Survey (Indonesia and Myanmar)---------------------------------- 5Editor’s Note ----------------------------------------------- 7IDACA I & YOU Club member Mr. Ogane receives JA Research Award! ------------------------- 8

Project members, including the local staffMain members: Tadafumi Kigasawa, director (far right), Kazuko Yamamoto, expert (third from right), Yukio Abe, cooperative development consultant (second from left), Hideya Suzuki, general manager, IDACA (far left)

IDACA I & YOU Club member Mr. Ogane receives JA Research Award!

The award ceremony for the FY2014 JA Research Award was held on December 18, 2014 at the JA Building in Otemachi, Tokyo. The award was given to “Hyoden Miyawaki Asao Nokyo Undo ni Inochi wo Sasageta Otoko (Biography of Asao Miyawaki: A Man Who Devoted His Life to the Agricultural Cooperative Movement)” (Ie-no-Hikari Association), written by Mr. Yoshiaki Ogane, former managing editor of Ie-no-Hikari who has been involved in human resource development for cooperatives in Thailand as a JICA expert and is currently a member of the IDACA/I & YOU Club. At the award ceremony, JA Zenchu President Akira Banzai presented a cer-tificate of commendation and a prize to Mr. Ogane. Congratulations!

Mr. Ogane (right) and JA Zenchu President Akira Banzai

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1 Opening of IDACA Myanmar Office

2 Toward the Conclusion of an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding)

3 Convening of the Steering Committee

4 Success of the Workshop

On February 12, Abe, Yamamoto, and I, Kigasawa, departed for Yangon. On February 13, we start-ed working on opening the IDACA Myanmar Office, which would also serve as our living quarters. With cooperation from the local staff, we basically completed setting up our office by February 22 and managed to open it.

Between March 7 and March 14, Executive Director Konno and General Manager Suzuki of IDACA Headquarters visited Yangon to conclude an MoU. The paid courtesy calls to relevant ministries and agencies (the Min-istry of Agriculture and Irriga-tion, the Ministry of Co-opera-tives, and the Ministry of Live-stock, Fisheries, and Rural Devel-opment), the Central Cooperative Society, the Embassy of Japan in M y a n m a r, J I C A M y a n m a r Office, and other offices. On March 10, we had an opportunity to give a presentation on the IDACA Myanmar Project at a meeting of the Agri-culture, Livestock and Fisheries Development Committee of the lower house (House of Represen-tatives) of Myanmar’s parliament (Assembly of the Union). At the end, the committee chairman said, “IDACA’s spirit was conveyed to us through this

meeting.” In addition, during our courtesy call to the Japanese Embassy on March 13, Ambassador Higuchi indicated his deep understanding toward the IDACA Myanmar Project and gave us strong words of encouragement. We thus renewed our resolve to make the project successful.

On March 11, the first meeting of the Steering Committee was held at a hotel in Nay Pyi Taw. It was a big step forward in that farmers’ representatives, field officers, and government officials confirmed the contents of the IDACA Myanmar Project among themselves, and for us to be able to confirm active participation by the farmers.

From March 31 through April 2, which is just before the planting of rice, we held a “workshop on soil analysis and fer-tilization designing” in Nay Pyi Taw in the presence of experts invited from Japan. There were 35 participants in this work-shop such as farm leaders (including female participants), field officers, agricultural extension officials, relevant ministry and agency officials, and Yezin Agricultural University officials. We conducted the workshop in the form of training using ana-lytical equipment for fertilization designing based on soil anal-ysis conducted at various villages. During the dinner party on the second day, all the participants promoted exchanges while watching the sunset.

Tadafumi Kigasawa, Director of IDACA Myanmar Office

However, Myanmar’s agricultural productivity is low, and there are many poor people living in the rural areas of the country. The Government of Myanmar has been engaged in the modernization of the agricultural sector, advocating development of its rural areas and reduction of poverty. In order to raise its agricultural productivity as well as resolve the shortage of labor, in particular, the Myanmar Government has designated the introduction of agri-cultural machinery in the rural areas as an impor-tant agricultural policy challenge.

To this end, IDACA first started off with creat-ing small farmers’ groups for purchasing agricul-tural machinery by taking advantage of actual case examples of joint use of agricultural machinery promoted by JAs in the process of the mechaniza-tion of agriculture in Japan, as well as of the initia-tives for the development of rural areas. It then developed a project for supporting the joint pur-

chase and joint use of the agricultural machinery. The project gained approval, and it came to be implemented.

Mr. Tadafumi Kigasawa, former general manag-er of the Education Department of Kanagawa Pre-fectural Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, who was instrumental in the development of agricultur-al cooperatives in Nepal as a JICA expert, and is currently the chairman of the IDACA / I & YOU Club*, has been appointed as the director of the IDACA Myanmar Office. The first round of reports will be carried on the next column.

* IDACA support team formed around permanent lecturers at IDACA, former JICA experts, and those who have cooperated in IDACA projects for a long time

Status Updates from Yangon

(1) FY2014 JICA Training Course on Planning of Agricultural Policy

REPORTS ON TRAINING COURSES

The training course began as a new three-year project from fiscal year 2014 with participation by 17 persons from 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, and African regions. The participants are mainly central government ministry and agency officials in charge of policy planning and monitoring, or planning of proj-ects. Lectures were conducted on agricultural policies, development of agricultural infrastructure, agri-cultural policies and the roles of agricultural cooperatives, distribu-tion of agricultural products, and the 6th industrialization of agriculture as a case study of agricultural policy, including the perspec-tive of the role of agricultural cooperatives in agri-cultural policy. In addition, field study visits were

scheduled in Kagoshima Prefecture, and the partic-ipants were able to examine agricultural policies at the national and prefectural levels as well as the activities of agricultural cooperatives.

JA Kagoshima Keizairen’s direct sales shop “Oidon Market”

Scene of briefing on the IDACA project for lower house members involved in agricultural affairs in Myanmar

1st meeting of the Myanmar Project Steering Committee

Director Kigasawa giving a briefing on agricultural mechanization in Japan in the past to farmers in the Wundwin area

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As there has been a rising interest in “agribusi-ness promotion” in African countries, it has been decided that the training course on agribusiness, which was carried out until the previous fiscal year, would be newly implemented starting in 2014 at both JICA Tsukuba and JICA Hokkaido, with “Rural Development” added as an element of the training course. JICA Tsukuba entrusted IDACA with this training course (A), in which 12 people from 8 countries participated. In the period from October 15 to November 28, lectures were con-ducted at IDACA, and field study visits that took

the participants to Tochigi Prefecture, Gunma Pre-fecture, and Oita Prefecture were implemented.

The training course served as an opportunity for the participants to examine various forms of initia-tives including individual farmers, agricultural cooperatives, and private companies, as well as small-scale to large-scale business development. In terms of the viewpoint of rural development, the “One Village One Product Movement” initiative in Oita Prefecture was introduced again this fiscal year.

(2) FY2014 ICA/Japan Training Course on Improving Capacity of Rural Women

Ten leaders of women’s organizations chosen from 10 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other regions participated in training cours-es held from November 19 through December 10, 2014 at IDACA, following about a week of field study visits in Thailand.

After attending lectures on agricultural cooperatives in Japan and JA women’s associ-ations, as well as the such matters as the current situa-tion of entrepreneurial activi-ties by rural women, the par-ticipants went to Hiroshima Prefecture for field study visits. They visited Hiroshima Prefectural Union of Agricultural Cooperatives and the Hiro-shima Prefectural Council of JA Women’s Associa-tions, and listened to lectures on such matters as an overview of agriculture and JAs in Hiroshima Pre-fecture and details of activities of the Hiroshima Prefectural Council of JA Women’s Associations. On the next day, they visited JA Miyoshi and learned about more specific case examples of the organization and activities of the JA and the JA Women’s Association. They also had the opportu-nity to come into contact with Japanese culture such as through hands-on experience in preparing New Year dishes together with members of the JA Miyoshi Women’s Association. In addition, the lunch exchange meeting that was held while tasting the hand-cooked dishes by the JA Miyoshi Women’s

Association members became unforgettable memo-ries for the participants as well.

Many of the participants commented that through the field study visits in Hiroshima Prefec-ture, they came to well understand the importance of the various activities of the JA and the role that the JA plays in the local communities, and that these experiences would greatly help in activities in their own countries.

(3) FY2014 JICA Training Course on Agribusiness Promotion and Rural Development in African Countries

Report on ICA/Japan Training Course Follow-Up Guidance and Survey (Indonesia and Myanmar)

REPORTS ON OVERSEAS SURVEYS

During the 14-day period from February 8 to February 21, 2015, we carried out follow-up projects in Indonesia and Myanmar. Target-ing former participants of ICA/Japan training courses held over the past three years, and the projects are primarily aimed at conducting surveys (interviews and questionnaires) of the status of progress of action plans prepared by the participants during their training courses, as well as surveys of the actual situation of local agricul-ture and agricultural cooperatives. In addition, we conducted questionnaire surveys asking rele-

vant part icipants of countries other than those we visited about the status of progress of their action plans.

In Indonesia, with cooperation from De-wan Koperasi Indonesia (DEKOPIN), which is an ICA member organi-zation, we interviewed eight former training participants and con-ducted visit surveys.

During the interviews, we heard reports that by utilizing the knowledge that they gained from their training in Japan and giving guidance on production adjustment, the former participants contributed to improving farmers’ income as

The participants came to realize the roles of the agricultural cooperatives in the promotion of agriculture, and they actively incorporated the idea of the business activities of agricultural coop-eratives into their action plans as policy proposals, improvement plans, and busi-ness plans that would serve as the out-come of their training.

Subdivision and packaging work at the JA’s collection and shipment facilities

At Tochigi Milk, Co., Ltd.

Training at Ajimu-machi Imoridani Community Farming Cooperative

Hands-on experience in preparing New Year dishes

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well as the following comment: “Instead of just providing funding and information, we learned how important it is for members of cooperatives themselves to make plans and set goals, and they started to work on that in Indonesia.” In addition, there were some former participants working on having cooperatives play the role of middlemen so that farmers can sell their prod-ucts at reasonable prices. On the other hand, there were also comments from many former participants pointing out the issue of insuffi-cient information sharing and weak ties with other organizations, as well as the way that cooperatives in Indonesia ought to be in the future such as the necessity of the cooperatives as business organizations.

In addition to interviews with the former par-ticipants, we visited various organizations such as the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, a

cooperative university, and training centers. At a regional-level agricultural cooperative in the Bogor area, we had an opportunity to tour a fruit sorting station and receive a briefing on bananas from their collection and shipment up to the point where they reach the consumer. Despite the inadequate equip-ment and technologies at this agricultural cooperative, it had established a system sim-ilar to Japan whereby those of good quality are shipped to markets to be eaten fresh, while those that are slightly inferior are given added value by selling them as pro-cessed products. In this way, it turned out to be a very interesting visit.

In Myanmar, with cooperation from the Cen-tral Co-operative Society (hereinafter, referred to as CCS), we interviewed nine former partici-pants. A former participant in the “Training Course on Revitalization of Local Communities by Rural Women” reported that efforts were being made to improve the income of rural women through their acquisition of sewing skills, as the former participant had learned through training courses in Japan the importance of technical assistance toward female members of cooperatives and cooperation among the members. In addition, the cooperative of former participants who drafted an action plan that incorporates farm guidance business and pur-chasing business received comments from local farmers such as that they could “consult the cooperative if they had problems with pests,” “borrow agricultural machinery,” and “receive

Visit to a women’s cooperative where a former participant serves as the chairperson in Indonesia

Editor’s NoteAs soon as the participants arrive at IDACA,

they start asking questions right away. A decade ago, they used to ask “Where is the restroom?” Recently, however, their questions have changed: “Do you have a Wi-Fi connection?” and “Can I use the Internet?” In response to strong requests from the participants, we have prepared an environment where the Internet can be easily accessed from anywhere inside the IDACA building.

In the case of long training courses, there were many participants who got homesick due to mental fatigue about halfway through their training. Now, however, with the spread of the Internet, it has become possible to talk with family members who are far away by making video calls via personal computers. Participants can also immediately upload pictures that they

have taken themselves on Facebook, etc., there-by instantly transmitting their status updates to their friends and family members all over the world.

I believe IDACA’s participants are not the same as tourists but they have the important mission to learn from Japan for developing rural economy and improving income of farmers. They are expected to concentrate on training sessions first and then, update their Facebook page later.

loans,” In this way, it could be per-ceived that what the former partici-pants have acquired through the training has appeared as results.

In addition to the above, we were able to broadly conduct surveys on the current situation of cooperatives and education on cooperatives in Myanmar through participation in “Rural Development Meetings” held in the Mawlamyine area by the gov-ernment and the CCS for farmers, tours of cooperative banks, and vis-its to a cooperative university.

Amid constraints on funding, distribu-tion, technology, etc. in both countries, former participants were making efforts toward development by not only improv-ing the income of farmers but also pro-moting changes in the way of thinking of the farmers and co-workers by taking advantage of the experiences and knowl-edge they have gained through ICA/Japan training courses. In addition, since we also heard many comments about the need for training in the future such as marketing and processing technologies, we intend to have such comments reflected in IDACA training courses in the future.

With former participants after their interviews

At Linn Shwe Wah Integrated Farming Production Cooperative Society Ltd. to which former participants belong in Myanmar

With former participants at the CCS Office