Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing takes part in coordination meeting on development of cotton, edible oil, coffee, meat and dairy product sectors
Development of farming and production businesses will increase per capita income and national economic growth
Nay Pyi Taw February 16
A coordination meeting on development of cotton, edible oil, coffee, meat and dairy product sectors was held at the meeting hall of Office of State Administration Council Chairman here this morning, addressed by Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present were SAC member Lt-Gen Nyo Saw, Union Minister at SAC Chairman’s Office 2 U Aung Naing Oo, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Min Naung, Union Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development U Hla Moe, Union Minister for Industry Dr Charlie Than, Union Minister for Commerce U Tun Ohn, Chair of Myanma Economic Holdings Public Company Limited Lt-Gen Hsan Oo, deputy ministers and directors general.
Participants of the meeting observed video clips on animal feed cultivation, milk cow breeding, rice cultivation, sunflower harvesting, edible oil production, modern machinery used in cattle farming and animal feeding in global countries.
Increase in edible oil yield and reduction of cooking oil imports
The Senior General said the meeting will hold practical discussion about the farming industry, the core of the development of the country’s production industry and economy.
The main issues will be edible oil crops and industrial crops, which are cotton, sugarcane, coffee and related crops. Since the assumption of duties, the government has been pointing out the importance of local oil sufficiency as the country is importing it annually. The government also provided financial capital to the business from the national economic promotion trust fund. But the import volume of edible oil remained the same till now. It is improper for the country with enough land for cultivation, input and human resources to sufficiently fulfill the local edible oil demand.
Of the oil crops, groundnut, sesame and sunflower, per acre yield of groundnut is high.
But sunflower’s oil production rate is higher than groundnut and sesame. The country can successfully grow all the three crops. Beekeeping should be conducted near the sunflower fields for successful pollination.
Normally, edible oil crops take four months. So, double-cropping can be conducted. In this regard, the meeting must find means for the success of the oil crop cultivation.
Agriculture needs quality seeds, proper land preparation, water supply, and correct methods.
The current sown acreage of oil crops seems sufficient.
Efforts should be made to hit the target and availability of seasonal inputs for increasing the yield of mixed crops. Hence, agriculture experts should find correct means and adopt the effective methods of other countries. Use of quality seeds, systematically prepared and fertilized land and water supply will ensure high per-acre yield.
Ayeyarwady and Chindwin rivers serve as the core of the country’s agricultural sector, while tributaries in the east and west are playing the role of aid providers.
As there are many other natural watercourses, the country has an abundant array of water resources. But some places face water shortages during the summer. But solar power river water pumping stations will solve the problem.
Correct methods are also the decisive force of the success of agriculture. All must be aware of the fact that failures to realize the set per-acre yield target are showing negative signs for the country. Hence, increase in per acre yield is the main priority of the agriculture sector.
It can be seen that the farmlands for paddy can be used in successful cultivation of other crops. So, If suitable crops as double cropping are grown on the paddy lands due to weather and soil, per-acre yield of crops will increase.
Needs to produce high per-acre yield of industrial raw crops such as cotton, sugarcane and coffee
With regard to industrial raw crops, cultivation of cotton needs to meet the target per-acre yield.
If one acre of cotton yields 1,000 viss, wool will be 350 viss, 52.5 viss of cotton seed oil, 17.5 viss of cotton seed waste, 40 viss of short wool, 540 viss of expeller cotton seeds, 1,008 pounds of thread and it will produce 3,916 yards of textile. If cotton can be cultivated on 500,000 acres of croplands, it can help produce 58 million yards of cotton textile.
Based on 50 million population of Myanmar, individual can use some 40 yards of textile per year. If 700 viss of cotton yields, each person from 50 million population can use some 30 yards of textile per year. Hence, if it needs to set 500,000 acres of cotton plantation to meet the target production, local people will have sufficiency of thread, contributing a great deal to earning foreign currency. Hence, ministries need to emphasize cultivation of cotton.
As thread produced at home can be used in garment industries, it will be useful for CMP and MSME businesses, contributing to creation of job opportunities. If the country can produce value-added threads for textile industries, export volume will increase. The Ministry of Industry and Tatmadaw will be assigned to produce value-added textile.
Growing of sugarcane can yield 26 tons per acre. Based on current per-acre yield of cotton, Myanmar will have 112 percent of sufficiency in 2023-24 financial year. If it is based on 30 tons of sugarcane per acre, local sufficiency will rise. It is necessary to increase per-acre yield of sugarcane without expansion of sown acreage.
The government is coordinating with foreign counterparts in growing sugarcane in advanced techniques, increase of sugarcane per-acre yield and rise of sugar production. If sugarcane cultivation develops, it will ensure local sugar sufficiency and increase export volume.
Regarding coffee crop, although the previous Tatmadaw government encouraged coffee cultivation in Myanmar, it met lesser success due to weakness in following the instructions.
It is based on many issues that allowed lands for coffee cultivation were used in other ways, and coffee was not planted in designated instructions. Hence,
current government restricts systematic cultivation of coffee under rules. Coffee products are essential for the world. As Myanmar possesses croplands for growing coffee, successful coffee cultivation projects will increase coffee export volume.
Hence, from now on, if farmers initiate coffee cultivation projects, Myanmar will be a top coffee exporter across the world in the future. As such, it is necessary to place an emphasis on coffee cultivation and production.
Encouragement for breeding buffalo and cow to produce dairy products
Myanmar annually imports milk and dairy products abroad.
In fact, Myanmar is blessed with sound foundations for operating cow breeding at home and sufficient feedstuffs.
Primarily, it needs to produce sufficient volume of condensed milk and evaporated milk at home. Not only cow milk but buffalo milk can be produced as dairy products. Livestock breeding tasks must be done in cooperative societies. Breeding of cows and buffaloes must be done successfully and factories must be built for production of dairy products so as to ensure sufficiency of dairy products for reducing spending of foreign exchange.
Personal income to increase due to development of agriculture, livestock breeding, manufacturing industries, leading to development of country If the country can produce edible oil, milk and dairy products and cotton items, which have to be imported every year, domestically and sufficiently and can export the surplus, the country can not only reduce foreign exchange spending but also earn foreign currencies for the country. With development of the manufacturing sector, incomes of individuals in the sector will increase and contribute to the development of socioeconomic lives, leading to the dramatic changes for development of the country. Therefore, the development of agriculture, livestock breeding, manufacturing industries has been called for repeatedly. At the seminar today, participants are urged to discuss the development of the agriculture and livestock breeding sector frankly.
Union ministers and deputy ministers reported on relevant sectors
Then, the union minister for agriculture, livestock and irrigation reported to the Senior General on yields of oil crops and self-sufficiency edible oil, expansion of acreage of oil crops for self-sufficiency of edible oil, self-sufficiency of edible oil if targeted yields are met, plans to build edible oil mills after the targeted yields have been met, cultivation and production cotton to meet the domestic demands, production of oil and animal feeds from cotton seeds, cooperation with other countries for cultivation of high yield cotton strains, expanded cultivation, production and exports of coffee in respective states and regions, cultivation and production of sugar cane, measures taken for the development of cultivation of wheat, steps taken for breeding of milk cows and production of dairy products, breeding of domestic cattle for milk in addition to milk cows and the need to expand breeding of milk cows for development of dairy product manufacturing.
The union minister for the ministry of cooperatives and rural development reported to the Senior General on measures taken for sufficient agricultural water supply to states and regions and formation of cooperative societies by the ministry to provide inputs for agriculture and livestock breeding farms while the union minister for industry reported to the Senior General on production of textile and measures taken for meeting the domestic cotton demand as much as possible, potentials for production of cloth by MSMEs and operations of sugar mills.
The union minister for commerce reported to the Senior General on exports of oil crops, coffee products, sugar cane products and rubber products and imports of edible oil, consumer products, agricultural inputs, agricultural machinery and equipment, pesticides for respective fiscal years.
Then, the union minister for the ministry (2) of the Office of the Chairman of the SAC reported to the Senior General on the need to set targets for production of the agriculture sector for respective years, to produce sunflower oil while Member of the SAC Chairman of the Myanmar Economic Corporation Lt-Gen Nyo Saw reported to the Senior General on cultivation of sugar cane for sugar mills in respective states and regions, yields of sugar from respective sugar cane strains, measures to be taken for crop yields, efforts being made by the livestock breeding sector to boost the production of dairy products, meat and fish. Chairman of Myanmar Economic Holdings Public Company Limited Lt-
Gen Hsan Oo reported to the Senior General on cultivation of sugar cane and production of sugar and breeding of cattle.
Afterward, deputy minister and responsible officials reported to the Senior General on research for development of the agriculture and livestock breeding industries, river-water pumping projects, creek dams, tube wells and solar water-pumping projects for sufficient supply of agricultural water and operations of agriculture, livestock breeding and manufacturing industries by forming cooperative societies.
Requirements over the presentations discussed
Regarding the presentations, the Senior General said that in the cultivation of oil crops, it is necessary to cultivate the actual acreage. It is necessary to present the actual acres planted according to the season, no matter what crops are planted or no matter what season. As such, full acreage should be used for cultivation.
In the cultivation of crops, it is necessary to cultivate good varieties in a systematic way. It is also required to re-examine the production capacity of factories to fully produce sugar from sugarcane. Rather than expanding sugarcane acreage, yields should improve. To meet the domestic demand for cotton, the production of cotton must increase, while it is necessary to build more cotton factories and upgrade the existing ones.
Cotton mills, weaving machines and cotton products should run as MSMEs and it will create more jobs for the people, so it should be done as a national cause. In carrying out cattle breeding activities, it is necessary to improve breeding in rural areas as before. In doing so, an accessible market must be created for breeders. Milk collection centers should be built for each village. They should deliver milk to the milk factories within 24 hours. Rather than importing goods that can be domestically manufactured, the country needs to import actually needed goods.
To meet the domestic demand for dairy products, the breeding of dairy cows must be expanded.
Value-added dairy products such as condensed milk, evaporated milk and instant milk must be produced. Therefore, ethnic entrepreneurs should be invited to build and operate dairy factories. It is necessary to provide sufficient agricultural water for agricultural activities.
Straws coming from more than 14 million tons of monsoon paddy can be used for animal feed as well as for the pulp industry, so they to be used efficiently. It is the same in corn farming. From the soft stems of straws, natural fertilizers, wood substitute fuel and animal feed and pulp, which is in high demand in the world, should be produced.
Necessary to realize the points discussed
The Senior General in his closing speech said that today's discussions are very beneficial.
As discussed, we need to be able to implement it in practice. Cotton farming and oil crop farming need to be done as a national task. Rather than expanding the acreage, we need to improve the per-acre yields. From the beginning of cultivation to the time of harvest, the products that are produced step by step will be of great benefit to the country. Domestic employment opportunities and production values will increase. From the cultivation process to finished products, employment and supply chain will improve greatly in the entire manufacturing process.
Therefore, we need to focus on agricultural production. Similarly, we need to produce human resources for agriculture and manufacturing. In producing scholars needed for agricultural activities, from diploma level to undergraduate and post-graduate levels, we need to open more schools. Plans are also being made to turn out livestock diploma experts. It is necessary for the ministries to coordinate and discuss with each other to be able to implement agriculture and breeding activities quickly.
The results of today's meeting were good and that the points discussed needs to be realized, said the Senior General. Then, the meeting ended at 2 pm.