INVESTORS can now apply for investing in businesses such as agriculture, livestock, tourism, and forest plantations on over 1.5 million acres of forest land and more than 600,000 acres of fallow and virgin land in Mandalay Region, said Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, the Chief Minister of the region at the Mandalay International Trade Fair and Business Forum.

 “There are some procedures for such undertakings. So, we can make arrangements to make the process smoother. The land can be turned into agricultural and livestock breeding land.

This can create job opportunities for local people. Businessmen who find it difficult to do farming because of scarcity of cultivable land can now invest in cultivation and livestock breeding on these types of land. We want to let the businessmen know that there are ways to do business on forest land,” the chief minister said.

 Mandalay Region has 627,140 acres of fallow and virgin land: 2,713 acres in Mandalay District; 2,20,229 acres in Pyin Oo Lwin District; 11,778 acres in Kyaukse District; 28,137 acres in Meiktila District; 1,59,203 acres in Yamethin District; 49,853 acres in Myingyan District; and, 1,55,236 acres in Nyaung-U District. Additionally, the region has 1,597,520 acres under forest reserves and protected forests.

“The Mandalay regional government will grant 30-year permits for growing perennial and industrial crops on 5,000 acres of land and orchard crops on 3,000 acres of land in the agricultural sector. Investors can apply for further grants upon 75 per cent completion of their businesses.

In the livestock sector, the government will grant 2,000 acres for cattle breeding, 1,000 acres for aquaculture, 500 acres for goat breeding, and 300 acres for chicken, pig, duck and quail breeding,” said Dr. Zaw Myint Maung.

 “There are people who cultivate crops on forest land intentionally or unintentionally. While some are aware that the land is forest land, others farm them unwittingly. This being so, the establishment of community forests on forest land can be a win-win policy. It will be beneficial to local farmers as well as to the nation. Private entrepreneurs can set up forest plantations.

They can also establish eco-tourism sites on forest lands. We also want them to set up wood-based industries,” he added. Between the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years, 14 local investors brought in a capital of K38 billion, while seven foreign investors brought in US$20 million to Mandalay region.

The main investors in Mandalay region are China, Thailand, and South Korea.—Khine Sat Wai (Translated by Hay Mar)