Seed Fair 2022: Use quality seeds, to promote socio-economy

With the theme, “Use quality seeds, to promote socio-economy”, the Seed Fair 2022 organized by the Depart­ment of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture, Live­stock and Irrigation is being held at the Institute of Agriculture in Pyinmana of Nay Pyi Taw Council Area.

The Seed Fair 2022 aims to develop the use of quality seeds and provide the socio-economic status of the country with a high production rate using quality seeds.

Dr Naing Kyi Win, Director, Department of Agricultural Research said “Our department is conducting production of quality seeds in cooperation with Department of Agriculture and the seed companies for farmers. It is also undertaking for the safety and sufficiency of food, making research with innovative ways, disseminating modern agricultural methods to farmers and distributing quality seeds for them.”

At the fair, the threads and textiles produced form cotton, clothes, cotton seed oil and paste are also displayed and the quality cotton seeds distributed by the Agriculture Department are also put on display there.

Dr Khin Mar Oo, Staff Officer, Cotton and Jute Division said “Long and short-staple cotton strains that are grown in local are displayed here. The farmers and enthusiasts can view threads produced from cotton, fabrics and clothes. People can consume cotton seed oil and the paste can be used as the animal feed.”

The event includes the Seed Fair Week 2022 Work­shop, the farmers’ seminar on cotton development and the talk show on boosting cotton crop production. Farmers, cotton growers and enthusiasts joined at the talk show and they have a chance to study the seeds that are suitable with their farmlands and grab agricultur­al knowledge.

Soe Win, Farmer, Myauk Myaik East Village said “Ngwe Chi-6 cotton strain was distributed by the Department of Agriculture around 2006 and 2007. This cotton strain could resist more insect bites and high yield than other strains. And then, we cultivated Shwe Taung-10 strain as a test-run in Myauk Myaik and Koe Lay Kwin fields. In the last season, we could cultivate successfully Shwe-Taung 10 cotton strain.”

At the fair, the research farms and pedigree seed production farms managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, the Myanmar Seed Association and seed companies exhibited a total of 35 booths and displayed the pedigree seed crops, edible oil crops, various beans and pulses, rice, vegetable seeds, seedlings and demonstrations of farming methods. The Seed Fair will be held until 22 February.