Efforts for Farmers: Protection of Rights and Enhancement of Benefits

Steering Committee on Protection of Farmer Rights and Enhancement of Benefits held the meeting 1/2023 at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation in Nay Pyi Taw on Tuesday afternoon. In the meeting, Leader of the Committee Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win stressed that the agricultural sector constitutes 23.7 per cent of the GDP of the State.

A plan is underway to form a crop floor price-setting team. Arrangements have been made for farmers to link Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank and relevant departments to take out agricultural loans for cultivation in vacant, virgin, fallow and forest lands. The Ministry of Electric Power must give technological assistance for solar projects and the implementation of solar systems in the supply of water. The government disburses K100.248 billion of loans to sunflower growers.

Moreover, a four-year special plan is being implemented for extending the cultivation of cotton plants to substitute import goods of long-staple cotton, increase per-acre yield and extend cultivable lands. So, 458,388 acres of cotton plantations have been cultivated up to 28 February 2023 against the target of 700,000 acres. In addition, the State economic promotion fund will be spent on the cultivation of 500,000 acres of green gram and 850,000 acres of summer paddy.

Farmers and livestock breeding entrepreneurs must be educated to increase the production of agriculture and livestock products of good eating quality. Up to 31 December 2022, a total of 8,855 water use groups, WUGs, were formed with 226,930 farmers. Water Use Association (WUA) is being formed one after another for the participation of farmers across the nation.

Currently, the emerald green (fishery sectors) village project is being implemented in regions and states, and 394 villages are implementing the project with K30 million each of funds for fishery development in the rural area. The government provided 10 billion Kyats each to Kayah, Chin and Rakhine states, K8 billion each to Kachin, Kayin, Mon and Shan states and Tanintharyi Region and 5 billion Kyats each to six self-Administered Divisions and Zones for enhancement of socio-economic life of the people and recovery of State economy, the Leader added.

And, secretary of the steering committee Union Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock U Min Naung reported the progress of functions by the steering committee. Union ministers, chairman of the Nay Pyi Taw Council, governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar and chief ministers of regions and states discussed the progress of relevant sectors and future plans related to the protection of farmers’ rights and enhancement of benefits.