U Myat Thein Tun: “I just wish every child could get into the habit of having a glass of milk each day.”

In Myanmar, mornings begin with traditional breakfasts: either mohinga (a hearty fish soup and one of Myanmar’s national dishes), fried rice or noodle salad, paired with strong tea or instant coffee. But a glass of milk? Unfamiliar and unaffordable for many.

U Myat Thein Tun, a dairy farmer from Ayeyarwady Region, wants to make milk drinking a daily habit. Since 2016, he has been running Top Dairy Farm, starting off with 40 cows. Despite his strong commitment, he struggled with animal health, product quality and the short shelf life of his milk, cheese and yoghurt, which limited sales beyond local markets.

Everything changed after he attended a workshop organized by FAO’s Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases in 2023. There, he learned essential food safety and hygiene practices, from milk processing to identifying harmful microorganisms.

Applying this knowledge, he introduced safer methods, started growing his own grass for animal feed, and steadily improved product quality. Today, all his dairy products have longer shelf lives and reach customers as far as Yangon.

But U Myat Thein’s mission goes beyond business. To tackle food insecurity in his community, he launched a school milk programme in partnership with Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department (LBVD), which has been routinely distributing free milk to primary schools with vulnerable students since 2017.

“We wanted to build trust, change behaviour, and see the children’s growth with our own eyes”, he says. In the 2024–2025 academic year alone, he has distributed milk to 16 553 students in 12 schools near his farm.

The transformation is noticeable. Children who rarely drank milk look healthier. Parents, once unaware of its benefits, have started to buy milk for home. “Parents no longer see milk as a treat, but as nutrition.”

U Myat Thein’s story shows that improved dairy processing techniques are not only good for business but, when combined with collaboration between farmers, schools, and government, can lead to better nourishment in the community.
 

*This story was originally published on the FAO website.