This document summarizes a knowledge assessment study of elephant foot yam (EFY) value-added enterprises in Hakha Township, Myanmar. The study analyzed socioeconomic factors related to farmer participation in EFY value addition. It assessed knowledge of EFY value addition among producers, processors, consumers, traders and extension agents. The study also measured EFY farming profitability and farmer performance. Key activities included surveys in 7 villages from October to November 2018 involving 134 respondents. Preliminary findings suggest farmers lack technology for EFY growing, drying and storage. Local innovations like wood-burned stoves are improving drying. The study aims to provide insights into improving EFY enterprises in the region.

1. Knowledge Assessment for Development of
Elephant Foot Yam Value added enterprises
in Hakha Township
1
Progress Report

2. Knowledge
Communication factors
-Extension participation
-Extension contact
-Mass media exposure
Personal factors
-Age
-Education
-Marital status
Socio-economic factors
• Family size
• Land holding
• Annual income
• Social participation
Psychological factors
-Decision making
-Innovation proneness
-Aspiration
EFY value added-
enterprise
-Producer
-Processor
-Retailer
-Trader
-consumer
Conceptual framework
Institutional factors
-access to market
-DoA, NGOs
2

3. Objectives of the Study
i. To analyze the socio-economic factors related to
farmer’s participation in EFY value addition
ii. To assess the knowledge of EFY value addition
for different actors in Hakha township
iii. To measure the profitability of producing EFY
iv. To assess the farming performance of EFY
farmers.
3

4. Activities in Hakha
Activities Dates duration Villages, institutions
From to day
From YAU to Hakha 22/10/2018 1
Discussion with MIID 23/10/2018 1 MIID
Pilot survey 24/10/2018 1 Lonklong
25/10/2018 1 Chuncung, Hnairlwan
Main survey 26/10/2018 27/10/2018 2 Chinkhua
28/10/2018 29/11/2018 2 DoA, LBVD, DALMS
29/10/2018 30/10/2018 2 Chuncung
31/10/2018 1/11/2018 2 Nwarlwan
2/11/2018 1 Corad
3/11/2018 6/11/2018 4 Sukhua, Sakta A, Khuapi
8/11/2018 11/11/2018 4 Lamthod, Bonthung, Tinam
12/11/2018 13/11/2018 2 Lonklong
From Hakha to YAU 14/11/2018 15/11/2018 2
Total 25 4

5. No Village name
PG (respondents)
Total respondents
Brokers
(respondents)Male Female
1 Cinkhua Village 8 9 17
2 Khuapi 21 10 31
3 Sakta A 6 9 15
4 Tinam 7 23 30 1
5 Bonthung 7 4 11
6 Lamthod 16 11 27 1
7 Sukhua 2 1 3 1
67 67
Total respondents
(respondents)
134 134 3
Research Methods, Samplings & general
Findings
5

6. Socio-economic data-
(farmers’ ages, education levels, and farming
experience)
Input & output data-
(labor used and costs, material used and costs,
yield and prices)
Knowledge test-
(producers, processors, consumers, traders,
extension agents)
Collected data
6

7. The fresh knowledge score of each individual respondent
was converted into knowledge index by using the formula:
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Knowledge index =
Number of correct responses
Total number of knowledge items
× 100
Based on the index value the respondents were categorized into
low, medium and high knowledge levels by considering mean
and standard deviation as a measure of check.
Category Criteria Score
Low <(Mean – ½ SD) <22.76
Medium (Mean + ½ SD) 22.76-23.86
High >(Mean + ½ SD) >23.86
Mean= 23.31 SD= 1.1
Savitha (1999)

8. He is really innovative and interested in EFY and he often records the
photos of his EFY fields and he always checks and takes care of his
work.
Expections
“he has strong will to extend the area of EFY in coming year and this
crop really boost his household income without much efforts”
Challenges
“Seeds becoming rare, price of seeds becoming high”
“Less technology in growing and nourishing”
“Difficulty in hiring Labor, and in drying of EFY.”
U Lwan Lynn, Farmer, Bongthau village, Hakha
“The plantation of EFY is really cash crop for his life and actually
thanks God, God bless us with this crop. It is a gifted crop.”. He has 5
ac of EFY and he sold both fresh and dry EFY with different prices
and he got 800-1000 ks/viss for fresh and 8000 ks/viss for dry EFY.
But the farmers in Hakha do not harvest in acre, but harvest only 200-
300 plts at a time and yielded around 200 viss/ 3yrs.
8
Photo credit; U Lwan lynn

9. U Shan Mone + Daw Nwae Nwae Aye (Brokers,
Sukhua village)
“We collected fresh EFY @ 1200 ks/viss and also gathered dried
EFY @ 7500-8000 ks/viss last year” and then “sold to Hakha
wholesaler, U Tanaot”
And also they said, “our experiences have already 3-4 years and in
this year, we are going to collect EFY (fresh), between 200-300
viss and we ourselves sundried EFY, we will sell 2500-3000 viss of
dry EFY to Mandalay trader directly”
•Challenges
•“Less technology in drying of Elephant Foot Yam”.
•“Tending to be Mildewed and Color turning black”.
•“Difficulty in buying dryer.”
9

10. Local Innovation!
Wood-burning stove for drying fresh EFY.
(Daw Hel lynn, Tinam village broker)
Her experience is 2 years and she usually collects 500-600 viss
(dry) /yr and then export to Madalay, “Ar lane” trader @ 8000-8500
ks/viss. She also said, “ some traders prefer EFY dried with burning
stove than those of sundried. Moreover, yellow EFY and white EFY
got better price than red EFY. So, she herself made wood-burning
stove for drying EFY.
Cost for making
stove
No. Rate Amount
Labour 2 1000 20,000
Bricks 100 135 13,500
Large metal barrel 1 15000 15,000
Cement 1 8000 8,000
Total cost 56,500
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11. Data analysis
• Descriptive analysis
• Enterprise budgets
• Knowledge test
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12. Expected outcomes
Knowledge Assessment for Development of Elephant Foot
Yam Value added enterprises in Hakha Township-
The profitability of producing EFY-
Socio-economic factors related to farmer’s participation in
EFY value addition-
12

13. 13
On the road to
village
On the road to
village
On the road to
village
On the road to
village
On the road to
village
On the road to
village
Experienced with various barriers

14. 14
Way to Cinkhua Way to Cinkhua
Way to Cinkhua

15. 15
Way to Khuapi Sukhua, Sakta A

16. 16
Way to Bongthua