Paddy seeds sector development: Delegates make a study tour to Dept. of Agricultural Research

The delegates from the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI), Myanmar Rice Federation, Myanmar Rice & Paddy Traders Association, Myanmar Paddy Producers Association and  Myanmar Rice Miller Association who are attending the Myanmar Rice Conference-2022 made a study tour to the Paddy Research Center of the Department of Agricultural Research in Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw Zeyathiri Township on Friday to study the research of high yield, quality and nutrition of the paddy crops which are mainly cultivated for local and foreign markets and paddy strain production and conservation of high yield paddy strains.

At the briefing hall of the research field, the Director-General of the Department of Agriculture reported on breeder seed production processes and distribution of the seeds from 2016 to 2022.

Later, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Tin Htut Oo said that the Department of Agriculture is mainly performing the researches that are necessary for the rice sector development depending on the budget and mainly produces the breeder seeds.

The Seed Division under the Department is producing the foundation seeds and registered seeds. The private entrepreneurs and the farmers need to cooperate to produce F-1 seeds for selling the Certified seeds. Only then will the flow of seeds be correct and the use of quality seeds will cover all domestic rice cultivation areas.

Later, the study tour group observed cultivation of Tun Pu, Hsin Thukha, Kayin Ma Htaik Hsaung and Nga Sein Yar Kyaw paddy strain to produce breeder seeds, paddy plantations for seed production and other paddy strains.

The Department of Agriculture has produced 15 kind of breeder seeds from 1955 to 2014 and a total of 128 paddy strains has been produced. The research on local paddy strains and seed production are being undertaken in the research farms of respective regions and states.

The Department of Agriculture, the private seed associations and the seed entrepreneurs are cooperating for the seed production and high quality seed production to expand the cultivation of rice varieties that are good demand in the foreign market.