Farmers ordered to plant double crops in rainy season

Mon 28 Jul 2008, IMNA
The Myanmar Agriculture Service (MAS) in Moulmein District in Mon State, which falls under the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, has been ordering farmers to plant double crops during the rainy season to increase productivity.

The farmers near the special zone in Kwan Tha village of Mudon Township were ordered to plant the paddy variety that could be harvested in two and a half months.

"The seedlings planted in the paddy fields in the special zone were uprooted during the weekend to replant paddy seeds, which could be harvested in two and half months," farmers in Kwan Tha village said. A total area of about 10 acres would have to be replanted.

The Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) officials from Kwan Tha and Kawkhapone collected the money for the farmers because they had been ordered to pay the farmers for seeds, which were of the good yielding variety.

The MAS manager in Moulmein District had earlier told the farmers to plant twice in a season and thrice a year.

MAS authorities created a special zone near the village and the highway to showcase the opening and closing ceremony for the paddy fields. These ceremonies were attended by the Major-General from Southeast Command and the Lieutenant- General.

The New Light of Myanmar said that the government was also trying to improve the yield by following a modern agricultural system, using good varieties and pure stock of paddy seeds.

However, about fifty summer paddy fields in Kwan Tha were destroyed during the harvesting period, when Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy Delta on May 2 and 3.

During last week, the Burmese army in Ye Township ordered farmers between Aru-taung and Taungpone villages to replant seedlings in rows in fields.

The policy of MAS could not succeed in Mon State since the farmers do not have dryer machines for the paddy fields. This is one of the reasons why it would be difficult to achieve double crops in the rainy season, a MAS’ former manager in Moulmein District said.

The Burmese government has planned double crops in Burma since 1993 in accordance with state policy. They started the system in Kyakse Township in Mandalay Division and some townships in the Irrawaddy Division. Currently, the military government has also initiated the plan in Tenasserim division.