Honouring the Peasants Day 2 MARCH 2021 2 NATIONAL the GLOBAL NEW LIGHT of MYANMAR
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WEATHER-BASED INSURANCE KEY TO EASING IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FARMERS PAGE-8 (OPINION) Vol. VII, No. 320, 4th Waning of Tabodwe 1382 ME www.gnlm.com.mm Tuesday, 2 March 2021 State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing sends Message of Greetings on Peasants Day Esteemed peasants, Esteemed peasants, Today is a historic day, which honours the peasants all over the country. Peas- The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI) is cooperating ants, I wish you all health and happiness and auspiciousness on this significant with the relevant ministries in distributing advanced technology for the availa- day and also pray for success in your agricultural undertakings. bility of quality strains, water, anti-pest measures, and smooth transport for the Agricultural products not only serve as the backbone of the food industry but agricultural products to reach local and foreign markets in order to produce also as the main source of income for millions of rural people. As agriculture is crops, meat and fish of high quality. shaping the development models of the economy, social affairs and environment, The MOALI is the main body for the development of the agriculture sector, its growth has been realized as the main task of the State. and apart from distributing pedigree strains and technology to enable farmers Peasants are the food-providers and benefactors of the country as their hard to raise or cultivate or produce quality crops and farm animals, it is also helping work helps ensure daily food supplies for the people, generate employment oppor- farmers to apply good agricultural practices (GAP), good animal husbandry tunities and earn foreign exchange income from export. So, the State is providing practices (GAHP) and good aquaculture practices (GAqP). Moreover, it is also assistance directly to them in accord with the Law of Protection of the Farmer issuing Myanmar’s GAP Protocols and Guidelines in an extensive way. Rights and Enhancement of their Benefits. The State has already provided the farmers with K23.68 billion as emergency aid for crop damages caused by natural Esteemed peasants, disasters. As for ensuring fair prices for farmers in the market, the State has Various kinds of natural disasters, including droughts, floods, hailstones, been fixing and announcing the basic reference price for paddy since 2017-2018. forest fires, storms, landslides triggered by climate change are harming the Apart from extending the scope of this scheme, the State is also pushing for the socio-economy of the majority of farmers. The relevant bodies are joining hands broader emergence of the mutually beneficial contract farming system that will in the work of conserving natural resources and the natural environment and provide the supply source and ready market for farmers. Afterwards, procedures alleviating the effects of climate change, which is included in Myanmar Sustainable for the system will follow. SEE PAGE-2 State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing delivers address at Council meeting State Administration Council Chairman Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing presides over the fourth meeting 4/2021 of the Council in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday. CHAIRMAN of the State Ad- cil Deputy Commander-in-Chief Naw Taung, U Moung Har, U Sai for a month now. The nation was ment restrictions. The Myanmar ministration Council Command- of Defence Services Command- Lone Hsaing and Saw Daniel, peaceful during the first week of Police Force is controlling the er-in-Chief of Defence Services er-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior Secretary Lt-Gen Aung Lin Dway, its administration, but riots and situation by using minimum force Senior General Min Aung Hlaing General Soe Win, Council mem- Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win protests have been occurring and through the least harmful delivered an address at the meet- bers General Mya Tun Oo, Admi- Oo, and Union Minister for Home since the second week. Those means. The MPF is doing its work ing 4/2021 of the State Adminis- ral Tin Aung San, General Maung Affairs Lt-Gen Soe Htut. demonstrations are caused by in accordance with democracy tration Council at his office in Nay Maung Kyaw, Lt-Gen Moe My- In his address, the Senior the persons who are disgruntled practices and the measures it is Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon. int Tun, Mahn Nyein Maung, U General said the State Admin- by the action taken against the taking are even softer than the Also present at the meeting Thein Nyunt, U Khin Maung Swe, istration Council has been dis- vote-rigging amidst the COV- ones in other countries. were Vice-Chairman of the Coun- Daw Aye Nu Sein, Jeng Phang charging the duties of the State ID-19 prevention and contain- SEE PAGE-3 Honouring the Peasants Day 2 MARCH 2021 2 NATIONAL THE GLOBAL NEW LIGHT OF MYANMAR State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing sends Message of Greetings on Peasants Day FROM PAGE-1 affairs of the groups, they should pay special attention to effectively irrigating the Development Plan (2018-2030). In addition, forests must be protected and preserved, crops and reducing the loss of water. and soil degradation must be mitigated. Scientific agricultural methods must be In addition, paddy, which needs a lot of water, must be replaced with value-added introduced for sustainable crop cultivation and soil improvement. crops that have a ready market in changing the country’s crop patterns as a priority Myanmar now has a total sown acreage of 29.59 million acres, but thanks to the programme. Water should be used effectively as the entire world is facing a drop double cropping and mixed cropping farmers are conducting season-wise, the actual in rainfall due to global weather changes and the volume of water flowing into the planted acreage of the country exceeds 48 million acres. Systematic land preparation dams is less than that in the previous years. The State will extend the technological and the use of quality and high-yield strains by the farmers will increase crop yield disseminating programmes by establishing model plots where crops suitable for and will ensure enough supply for the daily consumption of the country’s growing the respective places are planted. Only then will the farmers be able to change the population. As regards the land-use programmes, the government will encourage crops patterns and select the ones that have a ready market, and that can fetch effective animal husbandry and fish farming, and through these programmes, higher prices. there will be an increase in family income and surplus food supply for the nation. So, farmers are urged to use the land effectively. Esteemed peasants, A global drop in agricultural production this year is forecast because of climate Myanmar is now facing natural disasters caused by climate change and coro- change. So, long-term programmes have been laid down to select crops, crop patterns navirus infection. The country is exerting utmost efforts to alleviate their impacts and agro methods that can withstand the changing weather conditions, and they on the economy, health, education and social sector of the people to the possible are being implemented with the involvement of local and foreign partners. Every degree. It is now trying to support and promote the programmes to continuously country is paying serious attention to overcome the danger of food shortages and develop the socio-economy of the rural people, to narrow the socio-economic gap strengthen the disaster response qualifications in the face of natural disaster trig- between rural and urban, to effectively use all human resources and financial re- gered by climate change. Myanmar is also encouraging the task of storing reserved sources with the involvement of the people for rural development, to improve the seeds, taking preparatory measures and setting up agricultural rehabilitation plans capacity of the rural people, to set up social groups that have the competence for through government-private cooperation. disaster response undertakings and to encourage the local participation in the rural Water is the main requirement for the development of agricultural production. development tasks in accord with the existing Rural Development Law. The country is supplying water from dams and other water distribution systems to Agricultural cooperative societies will be set up with the collective force of grow 2.4 million acres of irrigated monsoon paddy, summer paddy and other crops. farmers who only have small plots. The cooperative sector will enable the par- It is also dredging the silted streams and creeks and digging drainage canals in the ticipation of farmers in all the steps of the procedure from seeding to marketing whole country to mitigate the flood risk. It can now save three million acres from through transparent means and will guarantee employment opportunities and floods by implementing 4,519 such works. benefits for them. The monsoon period is shrinking during the previous years, and the volume of It is time accelerated efforts for the socio-economic and multiple sector devel- water stored at the dams is also falling, alongside the decrease in the annual rainfall. opment including the agricultural sector should be made with the united force of Hence, irrigation facilities are being renovated, and irrigation systems improved to peasants who are carrying out the agricultural and livestock breeding undertakings prevent the loss of irrigation water. Moreover, water utilization groups have been with goodwill and sincerity. So, I would earnestly urge all to join hands in overcom- formed with the participation of farmers to reduce water losses and to effective ing all challenges, obstacles and hardships in the long-term interest of the entire use of water. Till now, 8,188 groups have been set up in 13 regions and states with people, including farmers of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and for peace, the involvement of 238,750 farmers.