NAY PYI TAW June 14
Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing arrived at the Department of Agricultural Research in Zeyathiri Township, the Nay Pyi Taw Council area, this afternoon, met officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation and discussed agricultural sector development.
Also present were SAC Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo, Union ministers U Tin Htut Oo, U Hla Moe and Dr Nyunt Pe, Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman Dr Maung Maung Naing, the Nay Pyi Taw Command commander, permanent secretaries, directors general, rectors and officials.
DAR Director General Dr Naing Kyi Win, Agriculture Department Director General Dr Ye Tint Tun and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Dr Sai Kyaw Naing Oo reported agricultural research on various crops, propagation of quality crops such as paddy, sunflower,groundnut, sesame, green pea, soy bean, mung bean, pigeon pea, chickpea, maize,cotton, sugarcane and tomato, production of seeds, distribution of seeds in 2020-2021 and 2021- 2022 fiscal years, research on production of perennial, seasonal and industrial crop strains, research on seeking cultivation techniques for seasonally and regionally suitable crops, test cultivation with bio and chemical fertilizers for plant nutrients, research on soil maintenance, pest and crop type, social life development research, opening of industrial, agricultural and vocational training schools and agricultural science institutes and conducting of agricultural and livestock diploma courses, cultivation of oil crops and production and consumption of cooking oil.
Next, the Union ministers and the Nay Pyi Taw Council chairman gave supplementary reports.
In response to the reports, the Senior General said research and development is a crucial process for a country. Business organizations and global countries are encouraging research, which is also an important factor for Myanmar. About 70percent of the population live in rural areas. The country has industries based on agriculture.
Its GDP is benefiting a lot from agricultural undertakings.
It is necessary to have good yields and quality in agricultural products. So, efforts must be made to get quality strains through research. Strain, soil, water and technology are four main requirements for agriculture.
It also requires quality strains, nutritious fertilizer, enough irrigation water and good cultivation techniques.
Crop yields are different based on those requirements. Agricultural research is indeed a main requirement for the State.
Among the crops such as rice paddy and millets, rice is the staple food. There are many rice varieties, it is necessary cultivate ones that are compatible with respective regions. It is important to conduct research on quality varieties that can withstand sea water and bad weather. It is vital to grow high yielding quality varieties by employing organic technologies.
To boost crop yields, fertilizers play an important role, efforts are being made to import or manufacture them at locally.
As agriculture and livestock breeding is interconnected and contribute to each other, agricultural produces can be used for animal feeds while manure can be used as biofertilizers.
Research must be carried out for production of fertilizers.
As for utilization of water, some people are accustomed use it wastefully. Instead, it is important to utilize it properly.
As agriculture is not successful in some areas due to the shortage of water, it is important to build water supply systems. Despite water shortages, agriculture is thriving in some countries because they employ the water dropping system. Although the country is abundant in land and
water resources, agriculture has not thrived as much as it should be. Therefore, it is important to conduct research on water utilization in agriculture.
Correct cultivation techniques can boost crop yields. It is important to transplant the correct number of saplings in paddy fields. The country has 33 million acres of agricultural land. Monsoon paddy is grown on 14 million acres of land while summer paddy is cultivated on three million acres of land.
If multiple crops are grown on the same land, crop yields can be boosted. It is important to nurture agricultural experts to achieve success in agriculture.
As for the livestock breeding sector, chickens, pigs, goat, cows and fish are mainly consumed in Myanmar. Therefore, it is essential to nurture livestock breeding experts. There are many shortcomings in poultry farms.
There are three livestock breeding techniques including outdoor breeding and indoor breeding.
The indoor breeding is the best technique. It is important feed animals sufficiently and raise them systematically. Therefore it is vital to consult livestock breeding experts. Therefore, measures are being taken to open agriculture and livestock breeding institutes, colleges and universities during the term of the SAC. It is found that neighbouring countries have more agriculture and livestock breeding institutions than Myanmar. Although Myanmar is an agricultural country, there is only one agriculture university in the country and there is a need to nurture more agriculture experts.
If more agriculture experts can be nurtured, there will be sufficient human resources in the sector. New districts have been formed and measures are being taken to open technology training schools in the new districts. Plans are underway to offer higher education to outstanding trainees.
To meet the adequate fuel and edible oil, they are imported yearly. It is to take measures to save domestic consumption of edible oil to ensure adequate stock locally and boost production of edible oil. The nation has enough cultivated areas for planting oil crops. The per capita consumption of edible oil in the country is 2.25 tical, and although the domestic consumption demand is about 600,000 to 700,000 tons of edible for a year, 800,000 to 900,000 tons of edible are imported yearly, which means that local consumption of edible oil is high.
Tasks are being carried out to cultivate soybean, a sort of edible oil crop. Expanding domestic cultivation of soybean will help boost local production of edible oil and reduce volume of soybean cake import for animal feed as well. Plantation of other edible oil crops of sunflowers should also be expanded. If edible oil crop cultivation is expanded locally, that will be of much help to ensuring adequate edible oil for domestic consumption. As there are other means to consume ground-nut and sesame that are edible oil crops, priority must be given to planting other edible oil crops. Locally produced sesame and soybean could be exported. In respect of paddy seeds, it is urged to maintain high-grade varieties of paddy such as Paw San Hmwe of the country. Glutinous rice is much consumed not only in the country but China, Japan and Thailand.
Accordingly, it is necessary to do research work on growth in glutinous rice cultivation.
Agricultural industry is an important livelihood for the nation. Efforts should be made to systematically do research work that is beneficial to the nation. Increasing agricultural production through systematic operation in the agricultural industry will be much beneficial to the nation. The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation is to make efforts for development of the agricultural industry.
Afterwards, the Senior General and officials looked round the exhibits of the Agricultural Research Department. The Senior General presented cash bonuses to staff of the department for their achievement in research work.
The Department of Agricultural Research was established at Gyogone, Insein Township, Yangon, in 1954. It was named the first Agricultural Research Edifice. In 1971, the department was moved to Yezin, Pyinmana Township. In 2004, it was separately formed as the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR).
DAR operates research work with seven research centres and 22 research farms in regions and states. The department developed 253 varieties of fruit and crop from 1954 to 2020. Inthe period of 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, 37 varieties of fruit and crop have been researched and developed. It has plans to keep doing research work.
The seed bank of DAR was built in 1990 with the aim of systematically maintaining varieties of natural plants for their long-term existence and ensuring systematic use of varieties of plants and adequate foods and nutrition. Today, the seed bank keeps 12,838 varieties of paddy,beans, grains, edible oil crops, vegetables and other crops in total and has distributed 24,777 resources of crop varieties to local and overseas organizations since it was launched.