State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, accompanied by Joint Secretary General Ye Win Oo, council members, Union ministers, the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, the commander of Nay Pyi Taw Command and officials, yesterdcay morning, inspected the progress of agriculture and livestock farms in Zeyathiri and Tatkon townships in Nay Pyi Taw Council Area.
On arrival at the mechanized farming reclamation project site near Pinlaung junction of Zeyathiri Township, the Senior General heard reports on the implementation of the project, facts about the project, plans to build the production roads and dredging of drains, and potentials for cultivation of three crops per year thanks to the mechanized farming farmlands presented by Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Min Naung and officials.
In his response to the reports, the Senior General noted that the reclamation of mechanized farms has large capital but can gain enormous profit, benefiting individuals as well as the State. Hence, it is necessary to continue similar projects across the nation.
He instructed officials to manage the reclaimed mechanized farmlands as model ones by recording the cultivation and production.
The Senior General inspected the cultivation of paddy in the reclaimed farmlands in the project area and gave necessary guidance to the officials.
At the Myanmar-Korea modern rice mill in Seinsapin Village, in-charge U Aung Zaw Oo reported to the Senior General on milling of domestic rice species. The director-general of the Agriculture Department presented reports on the storage of domestic paddy strains, the distribution of milled rice, efforts to operate the mill through collaborative efforts of cooperative societies, and the strong points and difficulties of those societies.
The Senior General stressed the need to produce quality rice for public consumption and as well as for the market. He noted that it is necessary to produce high-quality in order to capture market share, adding efforts must be made for Myanmar’s Pawsanhmwe rice to penetrate the international market.
Arriving at Nawin Creek Bridge (Ahson), the Senior General inspected reconstruction of the four-lane road instead of the old bridge which collapsed in heavy rain in September 2024, straightening the river course and construction of retaining walls near the bridge approach area, dredging of sandbanks near the bridge and left necessary guidance to the Union Minister for Construction and officials.
In Shaukkon Village of Tatkon Township, the Senior General viewed the cultivation of cold season crops and summer paddy in the farmlands of the village damaged by Typhoon Yagi in last September and thriving Yezin hybrid sunflower-1 plantations in 80-acre croplands.
In his response, the Senior General emphasized that as the country has to import cooking oil every year, efforts must be made to achieve success in growing oil crops. If farmers meet the target cultivation of oil crops including sunflower, prices of cooking oil will decline. He stressed the need to increase per-acre yield of crops.
At the Kangyi livestock zone in Kangyi Village of Tatkon Township, the Senior General heard reports by Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman U Than Tun Oo on the implementation of Kangyi, Shwemyo and Pyaunggaunggyi livestock zones, undertaking of livestock breeding tasks at relevant zones and future plans for the development of livestock breeding.
In his speech, the Senior General highlighted that agriculture and livestock zones are being established in the country to ensure sufficuency of livestock, fish, eggs and vegetables in relevant regions. Priority must be given to local food security and then to the food security of the country. As 30 per cent of the people are residing in urban areas, they must have food security. Regions and states, including the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, have to implement systematic livestock farms with systematic calculations of food security of the people. To do so, livestock zones must be established in relevant regions with the aid of the State to ensure the livestock security of the country.
The Senior General underscored that surplus from domestic consumption in relevant livestock zones must be exported as fresh meat, whereas MSME industries need to produce processed meat for export purposes.
At the Kangyi livestock zone, the Senior General inspected pig farms, broiler and layer farms, and dairy cow and cattle farms of local livestock businesspersons and gave necessary guidance to them.
With regard to implementation of the project to reclaim the mechanized farms near Pinlaung Junction in Zeyathiri Township of Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, an official and a farmer express their experiences as follows: –
1. Employees from the systematic farmland reclamation team (Upper Myanmar) under the Agricultural Mechanization Department in Lewe are taking responsibility for the reclamation of the mechanized farmlands with the use of machinery owned by the department. The project started on 17 December 2024 and it was completed on 28 February 2025. At present, farmers are preparing to grow paddy on the systematic farmlands we reclaimed. So far, some 100 acres of farmlands have been placed under paddy. Ploughing and land preparations are being undertaken on 170 remaining acres of land. Agricultural machinery are being used to harvest crops at any time and then transported to produce quality crops. As farmlands are vast and even, these farmlands can reduce volume of the agricultural water less than in the past. Agricultural machinery can be operated in the wide farmlands at full capacity and it can reduce consumption of fuel. Moreover, as these areas are facilitated with production roads, agricultural machinery can be placed there at times to expand sown acreage as double and triple crops from the single crop per year. As agricultural machinery can be used in transforming the manual to mechanized farming, number of farming labourers can be reduced. So, the surplus farming labourers can be deployed at other development undertakings of the State.
2. Now, we enjoy the benefits of farmland reclamations. In the past, these areas were formed with 14 plots of farmlands for farmers. Now, the area is combined with four plots only. We are convenient in supplying water to the farmlands. In the past, these farmland plots had fewer agricultural water sources. Thanks to the supply of agricultural water by the State, we can take water from the drain to our farmlands directly. Moreover, the project benefits all farmers due to the facility of the water pumping system. On behalf of farmers, I would like to express my thanks to the State for the development of our farmlands free of charge.
MNA/TTA
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