As the planting season nears, FAO scales up emergency response for farmers

Rome – Following the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is scaling up its emergency response to support rural communities whose livelihoods have been severely affected or destroyed.

Over 3.7 million hectares of cropland across key agricultural regions – Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, and Shan – were exposed to the earthquake. These regions produce one-third of Myanmar’s cereals and nearly 80 percent of its maize, and account for a significant share of the country’s livestock.

“The United Nations preliminary analysis shows that over nine million people were affected by this earthquake,” said FAO Representative in Myanmar Yuka Makino. “Farmers lost their fields. Families are without homes and entire communities are struggling to rebuild. The regions hit hardest were already facing challenges from ongoing instability, disrupted supply chains, limited labour, and difficulties in accessing agricultural inputs.” 

Critical damage to agriculture and livelihoods

The earthquake caused widespread damage to cropland, irrigation infrastructure, storage facilities, agricultural equipment and inputs, severely disrupting food production. Landslides, tremors, and cracks particularly hit townships, such as Taungoo, Sagaing, Shwebo, Oktwin, and Nyaungshwe.

Standing crops – including rice, oilseeds, and vegetables – were destroyed just before harvest in several locations. Farmers in Nyaungshwe lost all vegetable crops, while in Taungoo township, Doe Inn Village Tract, all rice fields were wiped out. The earthquake also affected livestock and fisheries, causing the collapse of shelters and destruction of feedstock and fishponds, exacerbating the crisis for farming communities already burdened by conflict and market disruptions.

Many affected farmers not only lost their homes but now face critical shortages of seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs ahead of the crucial June 2025 monsoon planting season.

FAO’s emergency response

Under the Flash Appeal, FAO requires $8.3 million to reach nearly 71,000 people or approximately 14,400 households in the most severely affected rural areas between April and September 2025. FAO’s response will combine financial assistance and agricultural inputs and support to help farming communities restore their livelihoods and prepare for the upcoming cropping seasons.

Key response activities include:

• Provision of financial assistance to affected households to meet immediate food, livelihood, and farming needs, enabling recovery and preparation for the monsoon season.
• Distribution of vegetable production packages to selected targeted beneficiaries, enabling quick access to nutritious food within 4-6 weeks.
• Supply of essential agricultural inputs such as seeds (corn, groundnut, sesame, pulses, paddy) and fertilizers to farmers for winter season production to sustain food supply and income.
• Conditional cash-for-work interventions aimed at repairing and rehabilitating damaged rural infrastructure, such as irrigation canals, markets, farm roads, small bridges, and landslide-affected farmland.

FAO’s response prioritizes restoring critical food production capacity, providing rapid income support, and rebuilding essential infrastructure so that rural families can recover, produce food and restore their livelihoods. The response plan is aligned with the broader humanitarian efforts under the UN Myanmar Earthquake Flash Appeal and reflects FAO’s commitment to ensuring that no farmer is left behind in the recovery process.

The targets and funding outlined in this Urgent Call are intended to complement FAO’s ongoing and broader efforts to assist 400,000 people in Myanmar under the 2025 Humanitarian Needs Response Plan, which requires $28.5 million in total funding.