Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivered a speech at the coordination meeting on the expansion of sown acreage of crops, increase of cotton production and development of livestock breeding sector which was held at the meeting hall of the SAC Chairman’s Office in Nay Pyi Taw on 6 August as follows:
- Agriculture and livestock farming is essential business in the manufacturing sector of the country. It must grow main crops such as rice, beans, cotton and oil crops in order to develop manufacturing businesses.
- Although groundnut, sesame, niger flower, sun flower and oil palm are thriving in Myanmar, the country imports cooking oil yearly. Normally, groundnut and sesame are consumed as cooking oil, also exported, and used as an ingredient for making traditional foods.
- As sunflower is also a cost-effective oil crop, it should be cultivated systematically in accord with the four main necessities, seeds, soil, water and technology, to meet the set target, and famers must be provided with incentives.
- Sunflower seeds must be available. Increase in oil crop production will ensure local cooking oil sufficiency.
- Systematic beekeeping that supports agriculture in a way must be carried out to produce honey.
- Although the country put about 500,000 acres of land under cotton last year, the output rate was low. Cotton can be turned into cotton fiber, short staple cotton and cotton seeds from which cotton oil and animal feed are derived. Cotton fibers are required to convert into long staple cotton for manufacturing high quality cotton yarn.
- Cotton cultivation is much supportive of the country’s textile and garment industry. The country will earn more if it produces cotton yarn and cotton fabric, and the increase in cotton yarn production is the responsibility of the industrial sector. The country will see surge in income by turning local cotton into quality items.
- In carrying out the production of oil from cotton seeds and oil crops, quality oil extraction machines are required to produce high-quality oil.
- Regarding rice, it is necessary to work towards achieving target yields and grow in a double cropping pattern with increasing productivity. This includes expanding summer rice cultivation, double cropping rice, planting other crops after rice, and replanting summer rice. Improving productivity will significantly benefit the country.
- Regarding livestock, it is necessary to carry out systematic livestock farming. Success has been seen with systematic breeding of local cattle, pigs, chickens, and goats. Similarly, good breeds should be raised for better outputs.
- Necessary animal feeds for livestock farming are locally available. Waste materials from systematic livestock farming can be used as bio-fertilizer in agriculture. Agriculture and livestock farming are mutually beneficial activities. Therefore, discussions are encouraged for the development of livestock farming.
After that, the officials at the meeting discussed issues related to the industrial production of cotton, development of oil crops and cotton cultivation, development of dairy farming and livestock farming operations, and the provision of low-interest loans from the Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank for agricultural production costs based on crop types, and the provision of loans for agricultural and livestock operations from the national economic development fund to ministries, states, and regions.
After hearing the reports, the SAC Chairman Prime Minister made supplementary discussion as follows:
- It is necessary to establish systems for accumulating capital investments for cultivation of crops. The cooperative system is the most appropriate system, which amounts to helping each other through groups. It will be of great benefit by collectively ploughing, cultivating, harvesting and selling crops by implementing the cooperative system.
- Cooking oil from oil crops grown by the cooperative system should be sold within the area, in addition to other regions and states.
- Regarding livestock breeding, priority must be given to local livestock breeding systematically. It is necessary to implement such livestock breeding tasks through the cooperative system. Measures must be taken to regulate livestock breeding tasks systematically.
- Collective efforts must be made to enhance the quality the raw materials produced. Tasks must be carried out at the minimum cost successfully.
Later, the SAC Chairman Prime Minister gave concluding remarks as follows:
- The cultivation of sunflowers must be designated as a national vision.
- Regarding the demand for dairy products, imports of dairy products from other countries can be greatly reduced if high quality dairy products can be domestically produced.
- In order to make necessary raw materials available at home, local livestock breeding tasks must be carried out successfully and production of manufacturing industries must be boosted to ensure the security of food, water and basic needs.
- Efforts must be made for availability of quality strains for agriculture and livestock breeding and systematic livestock breeding.
- Priority must be given to successful implementation of today’s discussions for respective sectors.
Also present were Union Minister for Planning and Finance U Win Shein, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Min Naung, Union Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development U Hla Moe, Union Minister for Industry Dr. Charlie Than, deputy ministers, directors-general and officials.
Source: MWD (7-8-2024)
- Cotton cultivation is much supportive of the country’s textile and garment industry. The country will earn more if it produces cotton yarn and cotton fabric.
- Regarding rice, it is necessary to work towards achieving target yields and grow in a double cropping pattern with increasing productivity. This includes expanding summer rice cultivation, double cropping rice, planting other crops after rice, and replanting summer rice. Improving productivity will significantly benefit the country.
- It is necessary to establish systems for accumulating capital investments for cultivation of crops. The cooperative system is the most appropriate system, which amounts to helping each other through groups. It will be of great benefit by collectively ploughing, cultivating, harvesting and selling crops by implementing the cooperative system.
- The cultivation of sunflowers must be designated as a national vision.
- Regarding the demand for dairy products, imports of dairy products from other countries can be greatly reduced if high quality dairy products can be domestically produced.