Using quality seeds of crops will have advantages for resilience to pest, thirst, swamps and high heat: Senior General

Some 38 million citizens are residing in rural areas, primarily engaging in the agriculture and livestock farms, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the opening of the Seed Fair 2022 at the Institute of Agriculture in Pyinmana of Nay Pyi Taw Council Area yesterday morning.
Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Tin Htut Oo and Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman Dr Maung Maung Naing cut the ribbon to open the Seed Fair 2022.
Speaking on the occasion, the Senior General said the government prioritizes nutritious food sufficiency in the nation. Some 38 million citizens are residing in rural areas, primarily engaging in agriculture and livestock farms. They are striving to earn income for the State.
Using quality seeds of crops will have advantages for resilience to pest, thirst, swamps and high heat. If so, farmers will have a high per-acre yield of quality crops and food sufficiency. Surplus foods can be exported to the international market so as to earn foreign exchange. As such, this year’s seed fair is held with the theme “use quality seeds, to promote socio-economy”.
The crops value chain from the production of seeds, distribution, storage, production of value-added products and systematic packaging for exportation is being implemented for the production of agricultural products meeting the international standards.
Within one year period when the State Administration Council took the State responsibilities, Magway, Mandalay and Sagaing regions and Nay Pyi Taw cultivated edible oil crops and pulses and beans on 4,552 acres of seed production farms and 8,048 acres of paddy to produce quality seeds. The Senior General urged all to increase investments from the government and the private sector in these sectors in coming years.
With the assistance of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, citizen companies and foreign companies put 100 per cent investments in quality seed production with the purposes of the domestic market and international market.
The Senior General urged departments concerned, experts and the private sector to harmoniously participate in the development of the seed sector.
The organizations and companies producing quality seeds need to abide by respective laws and procedures for the long term existence of their industries and for producing quality seeds.
Union Minister U Tin Htut Oo clarified the purpose of holding the Seed Fair 2022.
The Senior General and party visited the booths at the fair and farms of the institute. The Senior General instructed officials to exercise the dropping system in agricultural tasks of water-scarcity areas, feed cattle with fermented corns, straw and grass, strive for operating the integrated agriculture and livestock farms, disseminate agricultural techniques on all season cultivation system to farmers.
The seed fair aims to improve quality seed production and use and contribute to the socio-economic life of the State with high production using quality seeds in the agricultural sector. The fair displays paddy, pulses and beans, edible crops, vegetables, fruits, seeds, saplings and farms. Local people can view the fair through www.myanmarseedportal.gov.mm. The fair will last for five days.
The Senior General visited the mechanical section, school office, ancient buildings, old agricultural machinery, laboratory apparatuses, carpenter equipment and other materials in the Institute of Agriculture (Pyinmana) and left instructions on systematic maintenance of the ancient buildings in the original style. The Senior General cordially greeted faculty members of the institute and students.
The institute was established as an agricultural department in 1919 and it was opened as an agriculture school in 1920. The agricultural training school was opened in 1923. It was upgraded to the institute in 1954. As of 1982, the institute conducted the agricultural course as well as the livestock course. From 1982 to 1999, the institute turned out 115 diploma holders in livestock. After late-2000, the institute turns out outstanding faculty members. The institute is a birth space for modern agricultural measures in Myanmar and a historic area where the Burma Defence Army (BDA) opened its headquarters in 1942. — MNA