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ENVIRONMENT

Respect for nature, for its bounty and for caring for the environment is in the DNA of Myanmar people. Agriculture makes up the lion’s share of employment in the country and is a major contributor to the economy in terms of food security and foreign exchange earnings. A large percentage of the population is born and bred in rural areas and many rely on agriculture to sustain themselves.

MTA is deeply committed to helping small-holder farmers as well as larger companies work the land in a sustainable manner. Some initiatives we have pioneered include the promotion of environmentally friendly practices like analogue forestry and organic cultivation of plantations through our “Crafting Biodiversity Friendly Tea” Workshop (March 2024). We also do training on “How to make solar dome systems” to harness the natural resources of the sun, as well as actively encouraging and supporting the use of solar dome systems to dry the tea leaves at some of our members’ companies.

Moreover, we engage with entities who can help our sector become more sustainable in other ways, such as MTA’s ratification of an MOU with Myo Myat Mon Co., Ltd (a pellet manufacturing company) to encourage the use of pellets made of rice husk biomass (instead of using firewood) in order to reduce our members’ greenhouse gas emissions and to contribute to reducing the sector’s carbon footprint.

Other ways in which we work in harmony with nature which also improve productivity include:

Planting Shade Trees

To improve yields (given that tea grows best with between 20% and 50% of shade), our members also plant shade trees to help retain water and thus reduce soil erosion. Silver oak and chestnut trees are commonly among the most used.

Intercropping

Respect for nature, for its bounty and for caring for the environment is in the DNA of Myanmar people. Agriculture makes up the lion’s share of employment in the country and is a major contributor to the economy in terms of food security and foreign exchange earnings. A large percentage of the population is born and bred in rural areas and many rely on agriculture to sustain themselves.

Applying Green Manure

Our members use green manure to improve the soil structure and increase the water holding capacity of the soil, while also decreasing soil erosion. It also constitutes a valuable source of nitrogen.