Protection of Farmers’ Rights: Steering Body for PFREB held meeting 1/2021

Head of the Steering Body for Protection of Farmers’ Rights and Enhancement for their Benefits Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice Senior General Soe Win delivered an address at the meeting 1/2021 of the Steering Body at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation in Nay Pyi Taw on Friday.

In his speech, the Vice Senior General said that effective and successful implementation of socio-economic lives of farmers from the rural area, 70 per cent of the total population of the country, is the very important current requirement of the State. Successive governments have been protecting the farmers’ rights and enhancing their benefits. So, the Law for Protection of Farmers’ Rights and Enhancement for their Benefits (2013) was enacted in 2013. The law comprises eight chapters with 29 sections. Section 3 in Chapter II mentions five objectives of the law. Sub-Section (a) is to support the farmers with the disbursement of suitable loans, Sub-section (b) to arrange smooth provision for techniques, inputs and production to farmers, Sub-section (c) to give assistance to farmers to get reasonable prices and market for agricultural products, Sub-Section (d) to effective perform protection of rights of farmers who own small plots of farmlands and enhance of benefits and Sub-Section (e) to provide assistance to farmers for damage and loss in natural disasters as much as possible. The law was added with two sub-sections. So, Sub-section (f) is to help farmers not to lose in farmland confiscation and protect them for the safety of farming rights, and Sub-section (g) to carry out the emergence of a farmer organization law. The committee aims to ensure food sufficiency of the State, full nutrition of the citizens, more exportation of products from agricultural and livestock sectors, increase of income for farmers and development of socio-economic lives. As such, those attending the meeting are responsible for the protection of the rights of farmers who own small farm plots and the enhancement of their benefits in accord with the essence of the law etc.

Secretary of the steering Body Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Tin Htut Oo reported on forming the steering committee and future plans.

Members of the Steer Body Union Ministers, the Union Attorney-General, the Governor of Central Bank of Myanmar, the Chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, region and state administration councils and officials discussed their respective sectors in protecting farmers’ rights and enhancement of their benefits and future plans.

Union Ministers U Tin Htut Oo and Dr Pwint San and Vice President of UMFCCI U Ye Min Aung discussed the needs to set the floor prices for other crops such as beans and onion similar to that of paddy.

In conclusion, the Vice Senior General said Union ministries are to scrutinize the suggestions from the meeting. Arrangements must be made for thriving perennial crops and occupying the market. The growing of perennial crop plants contribute to the conservation of forests and reduce the climate change process.

Union ministries and region and state authorities cooperate to distribute pedigree species of animals suitable for respective regions and increase products.

Then, the Vice-Senior General and party viewed round the displays of departments under the Ministry of Agriculture, Live-stock and Irrigation.