Yangon Region to increase 8,000 more acres of sunflower crops

Deputy Minister Dr Aung Gyi for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation remarked during a meeting with the officials of the regional department on 14 March to expand agricultural operations and add more farmlands for the commercially valued crops which are suitable for the climate and soil conditions and focus on value-added production.
At the meeting, food security, increase in production of nutrient agricultural products, promotion of the value-added production businesses based on agriculture and livestock, enhancing the contract farming system and a public-private partnership between the departments and private farmers were discussed. There are a total of 1.8 million acres of eight crops, including beans and edible oil crop and 1.3 million acres of summer and monsoon paddy in the Yangon Region.
The department is planning to add 8,000 more sunflower crops starting this winter in order to meet the demand requirements of the edible oil.
After that, the deputy minister and officials concerned visited the training institute which offers courses related to dam maintenance and operation and mechanicals under the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department in Yangon, They observed the vehicle and machine handling course, mechanical maintenance course, industrial and electrical training course and welding training course.
The deputy minister met the trainers and trainees and directed them to fulfil their needs.
Moreover, the team led by the deputy minister inspected the pesticide residue testing activities of the crop protection division under the Agriculture Department, toxicity test and monitoring measures for the agricultural inputs and outputs in line with the international standard and criteria. Then, they observed the laboratories of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, quality vaccine and animal nutrition and veterinary medicines. They also looked around the activities of the Plant Biotechnology Centre of the Agriculture Department to maintain the crop genetic and visualize the pedigree crops and genetic modification, the banana, elephant foot yam and orchid tissue culture.
They left for the Agricultural mechanization Department’s institute in Phayagyi Town, Bago Region and met the trainers and staff and inspected the teaching aid equipment. He urged them to produce skilled individuals to improve mechanized agriculture. —MNA