The low demand for Myanmar’s
agricultural produce in global market has made local farmers unable to
lead a comfortable life through an agriculture business, says the
Agriculture and Irrigation Minister.
Moreover, there have been losses due to low standard agriculture produce in the market, added Minister Myint Hlaing.
“Growers gain no benefits from their agricultural business and they are living in poverty. Wastes and losses are usually caused by a lack of technology and equipment as well as low quality products in market,” he said.
In Myanmar, more than 32 million people
engage in agricultural business on 11.93 million hectares of cultivable
land. But this accounts for only 18 per cent of the total land area
(67.66 million hectares).
Shifting cultivation is practised on 150,000 hectares out of the total cultivable land area.
According to experts, the country needs to adopt more highland farming and terrace farming rather than shifting cultivation, which causes forest and soil depletions.
According to experts, the country needs to adopt more highland farming and terrace farming rather than shifting cultivation, which causes forest and soil depletions.
Shifting cultivation is being employed
on 10,947 hectares of land in Kachin State, on 15,829 hectares in Kayah
State, 59,581 hectares in Chin State and 71,587 hectares in Shan State.
In those regions, steps should be taken
to eliminate shifting cultivation and practise terrace farming in which
farmers need to grow perennial crops such as tea and rubber and engage
in silkworm culture, Minister Myint Hlaing commented.
Myanmar still lacks research and
technology, strong market, capital and infrastructure in its drive to
develop the agriculture sector. Meanwhile, the country’s agriculture
attracts less foreign investment compared with other sectors, it is
leant.
Myanmar’s agriculture sector in the
previous financial year (from April 2011 to March 2012) was valued at
US$13.1 billion against the country’s GDP, which amounted to US$47.6
billion. The value of exported agricultural products was only about
US$1.6 billion in that year.
source: Eleven Myanmar
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