Nay Pyi Taw November 23
Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Chairman of State Security and Peace Commission, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met district and township level departmental personnel and local elders from Maubin District, Ayeyawady Region at Toeshwewa Hall this afternoon and discussed regional development.
Also present at the meeting were SSPC Secretary Joint Executive Chief General Ye Win Oo, union ministers, Ayeyawady Region Chief Minister U Tin Maung Win, senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, the South-West Command commander, deputy ministers, MSME entrepreneurs and invited guests.
The Maubin District Administrator reported on salient points of the area, preparations for the coming election, farming activities, production business of the major sectors, efforts to hit the cultivation targets, storage of reserve rice, cooking oil crops sown acreage and production, fish farming, loans disbursed from national economic development funds, efforts to supply electricity sufficiently, ongoing efforts for education sector development, One Region One Product (OROP) enterprises and MSME production businesses, the need to upgrade Maubin Township sports ground.
Local elders and entrepre-neurs presented a report on the increase in loans for farmers for development of cultivation undertakings, provision of paddy dryers, expressing thanks for the support to produce sufficient amounts of fish feed. They also presented reports on electricity requirements for fish farming, development in farming business thanks to the provision of loans from national economic development funds, land requirements, possible benefits from bamboo cultivation on the bunds of fish breeding ponds, thriving sweet coconut fields, distribution in the markets and efforts to gain markets abroad.
Regarding the reports, union ministers and the chief minister explained disbursement of agricultural loans by the government, permission to import paddy dryers and crop dryers as necessary group wise or individually, permission for extending farming business in accord with the procedures, endeavours to set up a rice export zone, sown acreage increase in pawhsanhmway rice strains.
In his address, Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Chairman of State Security and Peace Commission, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said Maubin located in a vital place of Ayeyawady Region. Initially, the plan to open Agriculture and Livestock University (Maubin) was set up in 2021. As agriculture and livestock is the main business of Myanmar, it needs many human resources skilled in the business. In this regard, the university was commissioned into service.
Till now, agriculture and livestock are being carried out through conventional means. Although the country tried to materialize modern farming throughout the past successive periods, success was not achieved to the satisfactory level. As the majority of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture and livestock modernization has become a challenge. In its ongoing mission for education development, the government is upgrading the institutions of higher learning.
He stated that they are striving to cultivate educated human resources, noting that while universities have been opened in all Regions and States to ensure balanced development, student attendance remains low in some States. Therefore, he mentioned that efforts are underway to open Polytechnic Technical Universities, and they will also proceed with plans to open additional Agricultural and Livestock Universities.
He also stated that the State is working to improve educational standards, allowing students to attend universities and colleges for their respective subjects to pursue higher education, and that the reduced enrollment in universities is due to a low student transition rate between academic levels. He emphasized that by increasing the transition rate, the supply of educated human resources would become abundant, and he urged the Maubin District to also collectively strive toward this goal of increasing educated human resources.
Regarding agriculture and livestock, he stated that the Ayeyawady Region is a granary of the nation, and thus, the crop yields must meet appropriate levels. He emphasized the need to consider how to proceed with increasing the progress of agricultural work. Concerning the cultivation of Pawsanhmway, he stressed the need to increase cultivation for export, noting that methods for good yield have already been systematically tested. Therefore, he urged that Pawsanhmway paddy be cultivated systematically in the areas where it can be grown well.
He then stated that efforts should be made to achieve good yields not only for Pawsanhmway paddy but also for other crops, and that agricultural work must be conducted systematically using the four methods: Seed, Soil, Water, and Technique. He emphasized that it is necessary to secure high-quality seeds, ensure good soil conditions, have sufficient water supply, and be able to cultivate and produce with the correct technique. He affirmed that if these principles for agriculture are followed, the crops cultivated would greatly improve and stressed the need to provide agricultural education to individual farmers.
Then, he stated that the coffee produced in the nation is market-ready for international consumption, and while highland coffee is mostly cultivated, he observed that the Maubin Township has about 20,000 acres of garden plots, and if they cultivate lowland coffee (Robusta variety) in these plots, it would be highly beneficial and significantly increase the country’s export revenue.
He urged that the cultivation of sweet coconut is highly beneficial, advocating for the expansion of its cultivation because products related to coconut can be manufactured, and exporting these coconut products would earn foreign currency for the nation. He emphasized the need for planting shade and windbreak trees regionally, noting that coconut trees and windbreak trees can provide necessary protection during natural disasters.
He observed that fish farming is being successfully carried out in the Ayeyawady Region and similarly encouraged the expansion of the breeding of other livestock such as chickens, pigs, cattle, and ducks.
Regarding the town, he stated that the State would make arrangements to ensure good drainage within the city, but emphasized that departmental officials must systematically supervise the work, and the city’s residents must also cooperate. He mentioned that they would consider and proceed with providing a necessary football sports field for the town-ship, and that development would also be carried out for the universities in Maubin Town.
He stated that a free and fair multi-party democracy general election will be held in the coming December. He recalled that vote irregularities occurred in the 2020 multi-party democracy general election and, because the officials at that time failed to resolve the issues according to the law, the incumbent government was compelled to assume the State duties in accordance with the Constitution. He urged all eligible voters to cast their ballots when the election is held, noting that while the State has made arrangements to ensure the right to vote, casting or not casting a vote is ultimately the wish of the voters. He confirmed that they are carrying out preparatory work to ensure a free and fair election and are systematically scrutinizing the electoral candidates according
to the law. He concluded by urging voters to consider and choose candidates who are genuinely motivated to work for the benefit of the country and the region, who can safeguard the three main national causes, and who possess political, economic, and deense vision.
Subsequently, the Senior General cordially greeted the attendees of the ceremony.
The report concluded that the Senior General and his delegation then toured and inspected the local products, agricultural machinery, livestock products, and foodstuffs exhibited at the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Product Exhibition and Trade Fair in the Maubin District of the Ayeyawady Region, providing necessary instructions and fulfilling requirements based on the presentations made by the officials.
