THE Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MALI) continues to seek investment, loans, technology, human resources and infrastructure to produce value added goods and to locate foreign markets for export.
Deputy Minister for MALI U Hla Kyaw made this comment during his reply to a proposal submitted by Daw Cho Cho of Ottwin constituency at the Pyithu Hluttaw yesterday. Daw Cho Cho urged the Union government to introduce methods that will assist the expansion of domestic agriculture and livestock businesses to produce products which meet international quality standards, and to export these products to global markets. MPs have begun discussing the motion.
The Deputy Minister said his ministry and departments are already undertaking ventures to carry out the suggestions mentioned in Daw Cho Cho’s motion. He added that the motion supports and energizes their work and is appropriate for approval. U Thant Zin Tun of Dekkhinathiri constituency explained that to bring about the changes described in the motion, it is necessary to share technologies with small-scale rice businesses in order to improve the nation’s rice quality in a uniform manner.
He also said the country needs to open training courses to find solutions to contract-based agricultural businesses, support rural areas in installing grain dryers and constructing warehouses and silos, increase trips for negotiating trade with markets selected for pulses, sesame and oil-yielding crops, and to establish a brand in that endeavor.
He said Myanmar’s associations for pulses, sesame and oil-yielding crops needs to expand their directives in order to ensure different stakeholders are represented. He added that Myanmar needs to boost research and development efforts to discover high quality and fast yielding species of crops. U Thant Zin Tun also made other points in support of the motion.
The motion was then discussed between U Myint Oo of Thanatpin constituency, U Kyaw Min Hlaing of Ottarathiri constit uency, U Win Htoo of Namhsan constituency, Daw Khin Than Nu of Mindon constituency, U Kyaw Myint of Taikkyi constituency, Dr. U Tin Aung of Kyaukse constituency, U Yan Lin of Kyaiklat constituency, U Paul Sai of Dimawhso constituency, and U Win Htut of Pyapon constituency.
U Hla Kyaw, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, also responded to the motion. He said the Union Government has already drawn up the National Export Strategy (NES) to implement the suggestions found in the motion. He also said they are now carrying out a half-year strategy for developing the trade sector by partnering with domestic and foreign organizations.
He noted that they are encouraging foreign businesses, in order to place Myanmar’s top exports as high-quality products and increase exports. He further said the Ministry of Commerce is taking responsibility in acquiring capital investments and the required technology. He noted that the central trade department collects prospective regional products from micro, small and medium enterprises across the states and regions and sends them to commercial attaches stationed throughout the world, and to trade officials, in order to introduce them to the global market. The Speaker then asked the member for the opinion, who replied to have the motion approved.
The Speaker then asked for the deliberation of the Hluttaw and the Hluttaw approved the motion. The seventh-day meeting of the 11th regular session of the Second Pyithu Hluttaw will convene today.
—Aye Aye Thant (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
