Broomsticks Business: ‘One Village – One product’ implemented in Villages

Cooperatives Department under the Ministry of Cooperatives and Development of Rural Areas is encouraging the development of the cottage industry for promoting the social status of rural people. Thang Lian Mang has the story. 

Since jobs opportunities have been decreasing in different parts of Myanmar because of the COVID-19 outbreak, people have shifted their focus on domestic enterprises.

In Wah Phyu Taw village, the department is cooperating with a domestic broomstick business to make and distribute broomsticks locally as a product of the village.

Nyunt Aye, Wah Phyu Taw Village said "This broomstick business is a traditional business. We can do it proficiently without even learning. However, it has only been about 3 months since we have been working together with the Cooperatives Department. Currently, we have only 21 staffs, and we cannot export our products to foreign countries yet. We use local products such as cane and grass as raw materials. We get them from different regions; especially from Rakhine State, Pyinmana Township and Mon State. We could get them locally in the past, however, deforestation occurred."

Domestic businesses are very favorable for local people since they can use local products as raw materials, do not have to separate with their family and can conveniently work at home.

Around 100 broomsticks can be made a day, and the business is providing the staffs and their family in such difficult times.

Soe Moe Aye, Wah Phyu Taw Village said "I have been doing this business since I was about 8 years old. My salary is about 7,000 kyats per day. We can make broomsticks from start to finish, and all of my family members can do these processes. This kind of domestic business is very convenient since we have to work at home. We don’t have to worry about separating with our family."

Aye Aye Htay, Wah Phyu Taw Village said "We finish making over 75 broomsticks a day. It is good for the subsistence of our family. It is even more convenient in this period since it is very difficult to get a job nowadays. We don’t need to prepare food to carry to work or have to buy uniforms. We can just work at our home."

The Cooperatives Department started providing assistance for the small businesses in terms of market penetration and networking process. 

Staff Officer, Nway Nway Aung, Cooperatives Department said "There are a total of 87 Cooperative Sectors at the department; 72 Production Sectors, 8 Service Sectors and 7 Trade Sectors. This broomstick cooperative sector was established on December 2021, and we are currently trying to get a market for them. We plan to distribute the broomstick products to the States and Regions by connecting with the Regional Cooperatives Department. By doing this enterprise, both children and adults can earn money in their own houses. "

It is known that the Department is helping the villages to have a local product according to their aim of having ‘one village – one product’. Thang Lian Mang for MITV, Myanmar International Television.