State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing inspects Taungdagon oil palm cultivation project in Bokpyin Township

State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing inspects Taungdagon oil palm cultivation project in Bokpyin Township

NAY PYI TAW January 14

State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, accompanied by members of the SAC Admiral Tin Aung San and Mahn Nyein Maung, Joint- Secretary of the council Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo, Union ministers U Tin Htut Oo, U Hla Moe, U Khin Maung Yi and U Aung Than Oo, Taninthayi Region Chief Minister U Myat Ko, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, Commander of Coastal Region Command Maj-Gen Saw Than Hlaing and officials, inspected Taungdagon oil palm cultivation project in Bokpyin Township this afternoon.

First, Chief Minister of the region U Myat Ko reported to the Senior General on cultivation of oil palm plants in the Taninthayi Region and further plans to extend the plants.

General Manager U Khaing Htoo of Taungdagon Oil Palm Cultivation Company and U Arn Ban of Yuzana Oil Palm Cultivation Company reported on implementation of Taungdagon oil palm cultivation project, progress of tasks, further cultivation of oil palm plants in the remaining areas, paying of tax to the State, formation of the companies and appointment of staff, nurturing of quality strains of plants, quality control of fruits, production of quality oil, sending of crude palm oil to the oil mill in Yangon, production of cooking oil and soaps with the use of palm oil, production of bunches of palm fruits, production of crude palm oil and cooking oil, welfare and facilities of health and education for staff and workers, and regional development tasks.

Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Tin Htut Oo presented cultivation of oil palm plants in the Taninthayi Region and further plans for cultivation of plants. After hearing the reports, the  Senior General asked further information. Then, the Senior General said lack of actual cultivation on the cultivable lands cause much loss to the businesspersons wishing to actually carry out the cultivation and the State. Hence, relevant ministry needs to soonest scrutinize and report back the actual utilization of cultivable lands or not under the farmland policies and the farmland laws. In the time of the State Peace and Development Council led by Senior General Than Shwe, a plan was implemented for the Ayeyawady Region to  be the rice pot of the country. Likewise, the Taninthayi Region was set as an oil pot due to thriving oil palm plantations. Edible oil crops are thriving in the Magway and Mandalay regions.

Oil palm plantation can give cooking oil and other products. At present, oil palm cultivation businesspersons need to actually grow oil palm plants on the cultivable lands and produce palm oil meeting set standards.

The Senior General stressed the need to choose the quality strains of oil palm plants and the plantations must have fertile soil and sufficient water supply in the correct agricultural techniques for having high per-acre yield. Officials need to supervise the misuse of cultivable lands under the laws.

Preparations must be made for regrowing the oil palm plants in proper process and emphasize the continuous production of saplings. Due to high consumption of edible oil in the country, a large volume of oil is imported on a yearly basis. In  2020- 2021 financial year, cooking oil worth more than US$-800 million spent by the State. According to the calculation of experts, individual person needs 1.58 ticals of oil per day and each person needs to  consume some six visses of oil per year. On the other hand, efforts are being made to reduce oil consumption and increase the oil production through cultivation with the aim of having individual healthy life and reducing the spending of foreign exchange for the State. In order to reduce the import volume of palm oil, the businesspersons engaging in production of palm oil need to strive for further production of oil. Oil palm plants must be grown on the designated cultivable acres to have higher peracre yield. The Senior General stressed the need to reform the agricultural sector. As abuse of farmlands causes much loss to the State, all businesspersons need to strive for proper use of farmlands and cultivate oil palm plants cent percent in Kawthoung and Bokpyin regions.

The Senior General presented foodstuff for staff, viewed round the production of crude palm oil factory in the project area and attended to the needs of officials. The Senior General viewed production process of raw oil, crude oil, palm oil and soap.