Israelis firm are striving to expand more in agriculture technology and healthcare sector

Ronen Gilor, Ambassador of Israel to Myanmar, wants to foster stronger ties between the two countries to facilitate the transfer of relevant technology and knowhow from Israel to Myanmar.

Since taking up his role in Myanmar almost 20 months ago, Mr Gilor has been working on raising Israeli participation in targeted sectors of the Myanmar economy. He believes the current levels of trade between the two countries are insufficient in optimising the benefits Israel can bring to Myanmar.

“Myanmar already knows about Israeli technology, especially in agriculture and healthcare. The challenge is bringing that knowledge here and implementing it,” Mr Gilor told the Myanmar Times. 

In agriculture, Israel has made big strides in agri-tech and water management, enabling it to export crops such as potatoes, carrots and dates despite half the country’s total land area engulfed by the desert. 

“We are known for our irrigation technology, which enables us to bring water from the highlands to the desert,” Mr Gilor said. “For Myanmar to benefit from this we need Israeli companies to bring our equipment and technology to the farmers here. So far, we have not advanced beyond initial talks.”

Hundreds of Myanmar citizens have been traveling to Israel each year for the past 20 years to learn the secrets of Israeli agriculture. Currently, there are 250 Myanmar citizens at two agri-tech centers in Ramat Megev and Icat, Israel. 

Mr Gilor is hoping those who return can play a bigger role promoting and implementing Israeli agri-tech at local farms in Myanmar. Some have long been using Israeli greenhouse and drip irrigation systems to improve local crop quality, for example at cherry tomato farms in Mandalay. Israeli technology is also being used in other areas, such as at a bee farm in Taunggyi.

Support for healthcare

Israel can help in the area of healthcare, particularly in improving the state of Myanmar’s public hospitals. “We can participate in hospital management as well as providing equipment and pharmaceuticals,” the ambassador said. 

Israel can also contribute to training local doctors in a variety of fields. Over the past five years in fact, Israeli doctors have been involved in training local ophthalmologists and raising local standards of eye health. 

More recently, health practitioners from Israel have shared knowledge on getting organised to deal with COVID-19. “Via video conference, we shared our experience on how public hospitals can set up quarantine and medical centres and organise the workforce to handle the pandemic.  We also provided personal protective equipment to Yangon’s Wai Bar Gyi Hospital,” Mr Gilor said. 

The Israelis want to offer vocational training in the areas tech and industry in Myanmar, too. Israel can also provide support in driving more forward looking ventures in the country, such as building smart cities, developing the infrastructure for artificial intelligence and improving cybersecurity systems. 

To bring all that potential into fruition, the embassy of Israel is now in the process of launching the Myanmar-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Innovation (MICCI) to accelerate trade talks, pending approval from the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration. 

Talks of setting up the MICCI began last year, after a delegation of 27 Myanmar businessmen returned from a discovery trip to Israel. The chamber is expected to be up and running before the end of 2020. Among its targets is to raise bilateral trade, business and investments with a focus on innovation and new technology. 

“After COVID-19, we will also organise more missions and trade shows between the two countries to help Israeli investors understand the financial and operational challenges businesses face in Myanmar. This will help increase the opportunities for trade,” Mr Gilor said.

(The Myanmar Times: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/israel-aims-expand-myanmar-agri-tech-healthcare-sectors.html )

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