Myanmar is divided into 14 states and divisions. Each state and division is divided into a number of districts (total 67), which are further divided into townships (total 334). Each township is divided into village tracts that are further divided into villages.
Cattle numbers can vary greatly within individual village tract and township. Cattle are distributed widespread throughout the country. However, overall trends can be seen when the data is aggregated to state/region level (Figure 2). Cattle are more concentrated in the central part of Myanmar such as Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway divisions, which hold 17.4%, 16.0% and 14.6% of the national cattle herd, respectively (Table 2). These states and divisions are more favourable areas for beef cattle farming, processing and exporting based on the existing infrastructure with availability of animal feed, coverage of veterinary services and market potential.
Magway division not only has the highest and most dense cattle population in the country, it has also grown at the third fastest rate, higher than the national average (Table 2). While Rakhine State has the medium cattle population, it has grown at the fastest rate.
