Lang
Taninthayi Region remains the only part of Myanmar with conditions suitable for commercial oil palm cultivation, owing to its equatorial climate. Local authorities have expanded the regional plantation footprint to 401,605 acres. By August 2026, farmers had harvested 286,640 tonnes of fresh fruit bunches from 173,926 acres, on top of more than 617,000 tonnes produced during the 2025-2026 financial year.
Despite three decades of domestic and foreign investment in the sector, the region still hosts only five crude palm oil mills, distributed across Dawei, Bokpyin and Kawthoung. Because the crude oil has to be shipped to Yangon for further processing, Taninthayi has so far been unable to produce edible refined oil locally. As a result, the region's self-sufficiency in edible oils stands at just 0.47 per cent.
Regional authorities are now planning an edible oil refinery inside Taninthayi to cut reliance on imports from Malaysia. Local farmers and industry stakeholders stress that bringing refining capacity on-site would not only secure domestic consumption and generate exportable surpluses, but also maximise returns from a crop that remains commercially productive for more than 20 years.
Source: Myanmar Digital News