Myanmar Pearl Enterprise (MPE) is planning to raise production of high quality local pearls by working with international companies, and sharing research and technologies among the local pearl producers

The Myanmar Pearl Enterprise (MPE) will raise production of high quality local pearls for the purpose of selling more of the gems to international buyers and raising income. 

By working together with international companies, the MPE is aiming to raise the volume and quality of locally produced pearls. “We plan to invest more in research and skills training to raise the quality of local pearl culture farms and invite foreign pearl producers to establish more joint ventures with the locals,” said U Myint Thu, general manager of the MPE. 

“We will now prioritise quality over quantity by sharing research and technologies among the local pearl producers,” he added. 

In Myanmar, the cultivation and production of fresh peals is mainly conducted in Tanintharyi Region. Currently, pearls are being produced in Kawthoung and Myeik by State-owned cultivators, while private firms run pearl farms on a dozen islands in the archipelago.

In fact, production of Myanmar pearls between 2013-14 and 2017-18 has exceeded expectations each year, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. 

In 2017-18, a total of 687,000 pearls were produced compared to 627,000 pearls in 2013-14. Production hit a peak in 2016-17, when a total of 752,800 gems were supplied.

The pearls are sold during auctions organised by the MPE as well as during the annual Myanmar Gems Expo. They are also sold at international exhibitions held in Hong Kong and the US. 

“The pearls are mostly sold in Myanmar kyat at local exhibitions, but we want to raise the volume of high quality pearls that can be sold to international buyers in euros or overseas in dollars,” said U Myint Thu. 

Despite the higher production though, the value of the pearls sold has been sliding. In 2017-18 the government generated more than K10 billion in revenues from the sales of locally produced pearls, down from K16 billion the year before, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. 

One of the reasons is poor weather conditions.  “The survival rate of local pearl oysters has dropped due to erratic weather conditions and the producers are working on new cultivation methods to help the oysters adapt to the change in climate,” said U Myint Thu. 

As such, the challenge for local pearl producers is to raise the quality and sustainability of the gems. Currently, producers are working on new farming methods to raise the survival rate of the pearl oysters using new technologies.

“The gems produced need to be of good quality. To do so, the industry needs to research. Whether is it by artificially inserting a pearl nucleus into the oyster or by rearing live oysters, we need the pearls produced to be at a standard accepted by international buyers. We need to improve our production processes and create a system for quality,” U Myint Thu said.

Meanwhile, efforts will also be made to ensure production volumes are supported. For example, “the Myanmar Pearl Law has been amended such that pearl producers operating in Myanmar no longer to allocate a portion of their profit to the government,” U Myint Thu said.

(The Myanmar Times: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/myanmar-pearl-farms-focus-quality-sustainable-production.html )

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