The statistics³ in Table 1 provide overview of the cattle and beef industry in Myanmar. Based on the data from the LBVD, the country had 14.99 million cattle head (including draught and dairy cattle) in 2013. The turnoff numbers were relatively low compared to other ASEAN countries, at 0.27 million head (annual growth of 1.3% on average). The turnoff figures are deemed understated as they don’t record illegal slaughtering. However, the low turnoff levels are explained by the fact that Myanmar people do not normally eat beef (and buffalo meat) as they assume that cattle and buffalo are benefactors of their livelihood. There has been a high growth in the official figures on cattle meat over the period 2000-2013 (annual growth of 11.7% on average). However, these official figures are deemed overstated and rather unreliable given the country’s poor statistical capacity and the use of outdated methodologies (Myint, 2009). This is the result of several factors including the government having limited control over parts of the territory, limited resources for data gathering and analysis, and data being manipulated for internal and external purposes (Dapice et al., 2012).

Table 1: Key facts about the industry 2000-2013

Source: adapted from LBVD (2014).

³ Data is provided by Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD). Cattle number represents the opening stock at the beginning of each fiscal year. Data on buffaloes and buffalo meat is not included.

The cattle industry in Myanmar is still at the early stage. There are a number of drivers that influence the industry development. It is estimated that GDP growth was at 4.6% for the period 2002-2010 (ADB, 2012), rising to 6.3% in 2013 (USAID, 2013). This upward trajectory is likely to continue as a result of improved macro-economic reforms. In addition, the removal of international economic sanctions on Myanmar in 2012, and the increased demand for cattle products from neighbouring countries provide significant opportunities for many rural and peri-urban people to increase returns from their cattle farming. However, Myanmar imposes restrictions on slaughtering below 16 years of age, and on live cattle exports. Therefore, live cattle price inside Burma is significantly lower than neighbouring countries leading to unofficial exports. Industry groups are pressuring for policy to change, and this is likely to happen in 2015 after the election. If export policies are liberalized, Myanmar has huge potentials to develop backgrounding and fattening systems based on local and imported cattle as the country has a vast land area which could be used as grazing of animals.

Figure 1 indicates that the cattle number increased gradually from 11 million head in 2000 to 15 million head in 2013. The slaughter number⁴, collected by the township development committee (municipal) through licensees basing on slaughter numbers and slaughter taxes, fluctuated over the period 2000-2013. The official slaughter number peaked at 377,004 head in 2011, and then dropped to 271,250 head in 2013. However, official figures did not record illegal slaughtering, which accounts for 10-15% of the official number, according to the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD).

The estimated beef production was based on the slaughter number, local consumption and export. Cattle meat production has risen steadily from 71,000 tonnes in 2000 to around 300,000 tonnes in 2013 (Figure 1).

Figure 1: cattle production in Myanmar

⁴ Data are reported from Township LBVD office, State/Region office to LBVD Head office