Poverty Reduction Project : Knowledge-sharing workshop on MLC project

A knowledge-sharing workshop on Poverty Reduction Project, which is implement under the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Special Fund, was held on Friday.

The project began in August 2024 and will run for two years to support rural development and improve livelihoods. Union Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development U Hla Moe attended the workshop together with officials from the Chinese Embassy, department heads, project staff, and villagers.

Participants reviewed project progress, challenges, strengths, and ways to improve future project design. The Union Minister highlighted the government’s commitment to reducing the development gap between rural and urban areas, increasing family incomes, creating jobs, and improving rural infrastructure with support from local budgets, international partners, and development agencies.

After the workshop, the Union Minister visited Tatkone Township, where he observed small-scale industry projects and met trainees who completed a food production course. They also visited Aye Chan Thar Model Village, where he inspected completed concrete road works.

They urged local villagers to encourage community participation in maintaining development projects. He then visited Myauk Myaik  Village-tract, where cooperative farmers were harvesting 203 acres cotton plantation. Later, the Union Minister attended the opening ceremony of the Hla Cotton Ginning and Pressing Factory in Tatkone.

He urged cooperative farmers to follow proper agricultural practices to increase yields and emphasized the factory’s role in producing cotton to reduce imports and create job opportunities. Officials explained the purpose of the new facility. After the ceremony, the Union Minister took a tour to the factory to observe the operation process.