The MyFarmer App offers a list of farms that need investor support. The app facilitates engagement between farmers and investors from contract signing to harvest tracking.
In a move to transform rural agriculture, a startup venture in Myanmar has launched the country's first crowd-farming platform, MyFarmer App. The initiative was funded by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) Grants for Research towards Agricultural Innovative Solutions (GRAINS). The platform directly connects individual investors, known as digital farmers, with local smallholder farmers who need capital for the planting season. The aim is to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen rural economies, and promote support for sustainable farming practices.
"This project aims to serve as a proof of concept for scaling up the initiative to other regions, with a focus on transparency and building trust between investors and farmers," reported Mr. Khun Ba San, co-founder of MyFarmer Labs Limited, the startup that created MyFarmer App.
To integrate smallholder farmers into the crowd-farming ecosystem, the project team held a series of onboarding and engagement events in Southern Shan State. More than 500 farmers from over 20 villages took part and learned to use Farmnote, a simple physical tool used to track expenses and access farm capital. This was among the first steps to ensure transparency of digital transactions and to attract investors.
"I had never thought about tracking my farm expenses. Now, not only can I keep detailed records, but I can also clearly see exactly what I've invested in my farm, like fertilizers and pesticides. It's made a huge difference in how I manage and plan for each season," said Ms. Moe Mong, a peanut farmer.
Investor engagement was fueled by social media campaigns, allowing the digital farmers to browse live farm listings and invest directly in the farmers of their choice. Influencers and digital platforms played a key role in attracting attention and support for the initiative.
In the pilot run, 10 farmers each received funding of USD 250 for land preparation, seeds, inputs, labor, and other operational costs. The process from contract signing to harvest was tracked through MyFarmer App, supported by real-time, on-the-ground monitoring from local youth volunteers known as farmer rangers.
Corn farmer Mr. Thein Aung said, "Every year, I had to rely on loans with high interest rates from middlemen, as it was my only option for financing. I truly appreciate how the MyFarmer platform helps share the farming risks through collaborative efforts."
In a GRAINS-funded initiative through the SEARCA Emerging Innovation for Growth Department, farmers in Myanmar are onboarded on expense tracking to prepare for accessing capital through the MyFarmer App digital platform.
Promising returns of 20%-48% were recorded among corn, tomato, and sunflower pilot farms. Farmers that planted niger seeds faced losses due to late planting. Despite that, niger seed grower Ms. Nang Pan Phyu had positive feedback: "I was really in need of capital this year, and I was fortunate to connect with MyFarmer crowd-farming app. I would love for it to expand capacity to invest more capital in my farm."
To enhance the platform, MyFarmer App introduced payment integration with major banks, improved tracking systems, user interface upgrades, and social media sign-in options for streamlined investor onboarding.
This initiative marks a significant step forward for agri-tech in Myanmar. Backed by local communities, youth leaders, and a growing digital farming network, MyFarmer App is sowing the seeds of a new agricultural era—rooted in connection, transparency, and opportunity.
Know more about MyFarmer App from this video story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4MwAQNhDJ4
