Perspective on Breast Cancer and Soy Controversy

January 23, 2019
Editor
RESEARCH AND CONSULTING

Originally Published in USSOY.ORG, by Mark Messina, Ph.D. Mark Messina, Ph.D. Executive Director, SOY NUTRITION INSTITUTE The soy and breast cancer controversy has been around a long time. It persists despite an abundance of human research supporting the safety and possible benefit of soyfood consumption by breast cancer patients. In general, health professionals are aware of this research. Hopefully, this information will be efficiently conveyed to the public at large. It’s been about 20 years since the controversy began in…

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US Soybean Oil Content is Popular in Mexico

January 23, 2019
Editor
IMPORT EXPORT

Here is a recent story from the US Soy Export Council Mexico doesn’t grow its own oilseeds, so Mexican crushers and food industry executives are glad there’s a steady, quality supply available north of the border in the U.S. Francisco Belden looks for soybean oil that is low in fatty acids and has good color. He finds this quality in U.S. Soy.

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A Commodities Exchange is in the Works for YSX

January 21, 2019
Editor
RESEARCH AND CONSULTING

New World Financial Group started talks with Cambodian Security Echange and First Gold six months ago. Recently they signed a memorandum of understanding with the counterparts to establish a derivatives market in Myanmar. The market will include forex, real estate, gold and commodities and create thousands of jobs. “We will make efforts in all possible ways to make it happen. If we are able to make it, the forex market will definitely boom here in line with international standards, and…

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The Mystical Power of Luck

January 16, 2019
Editor
MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION, RESEARCH AND CONSULTING

Better known as instinct matched with timing. Luck, a primary characteristic of entrepreneurship (along with risk taking), has a mystical power that cannot be quantified by market research and analytics. Sometimes products succeed in Myanmar for reasons that just cannot be explained. Try as they might, market research is more likely to be selective confirmation of bias and transference on the part of the researcher. The point is, don’t let Market Researchers usurp the role of the entrepreneur because they…

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Sinner Brothers

January 15, 2019
Editor
FOOD PROCESSING, IMPORT EXPORT

The week BNS is hosting Bob Sinner (that’s good theology) from SB&B.  Bob has spent his entire life in North Dakota (USA).  He grew up working in the family farming business and joined the Company after graduating from North Dakota State University in 1975 with a degree in Agriculture Economics. Before SB&B actively pursued an expansion into international business, Bob served on the Executive Committee of the United Soybean Board and Chairman of the International Promotion Committee.  In 1989, SB&B…

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Foreign Business Ownership in Myanmar

January 14, 2019
Editor
IMPORT EXPORT, RESEARCH AND CONSULTING

Myanmar’s new Business Law (2017) and Regulations (2018) is one of the best business laws in the region and better than some EU countries for foreigners.  The new Law and Regulations allows foreigners to own up to 35% in a locally registered business. A local business can conduct business in a variety of categories including services industry, consulting, agriculture, agro-processing, marketing, sales, distribution, import and export. The cost to register a business is around $500 and takes only a couple…

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8 Reasons Why You Failed in Myanmar

January 7, 2019
Editor
MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION, RESEARCH AND CONSULTING, Uncategorized

Why Do Some Product Launches Work and Others Fail in Myanmar (especially when the failed product is superior to the successful one)? Introducing a new product on the market can be an exhilarating experience.  In Myanmar it can also be quite perilous and is not for the faint of heart.  I have learned this lesson the hard way having introduced my own product, Snowball Soy Milk in 2014 only to have to shut it down after 2 years in spite…

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What Happened to all the Milk at Ocean?

January 6, 2019
Editor
MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION, RESEARCH AND CONSULTING

Inventory Gaps in Myanmar Inventory gaps are common in Myanmar.  Recently, we visited Ocean in Hlaing Thayar and discovered an entire aisle (well, 30% of it was devoted to UHT milk) was covered up with non milk products to hide the fact that there was no milk.  Actually, I managed to find the last 2 containers of milk (Tetra packed, from Thailand).  And there was plenty of local milk in the fridge section.  Walco makes a nice milk locally. Other…

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What Do Edible Oil and Paddy Cultivation Have to do With Fish Farming in Myanmar?

January 5, 2019
Editor
AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK AND AQUACULTURE

How to Fix the Asymmetry Between Paddy and Oil Seed Production and the Aquaculture Industry in Myanmar Had this been done 60 years ago, our bet is that Myanmar would have been an economic powerhouse today rather than a basket case.  The next best time to do it, is now.  This is a simple strategy: Improve paddy technology and techniques, invest in oil seed production and processing and watch Myanmar become the largest exporter of farmed fish in the world…

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