The Agriculture Department has urged farmers to grow cash crops in flood-damaged fields. It will provide effective support to replant crops in time before the season ends, Dr Ye Tint Tun, director-general of the Agriculture Department.
Devastating strong winds and heavy rain in the wake of Typhoon Yagi swept Myanmar, battering farmlands. The officials from the Agriculture Department are conducting field trips to flood-hit areas in each township. A team led by Dr Ye Tint Tun visited the farms in the Nay Pyi Taw Council Area and discussed matters related to support for post-flood farm recovery, ways to tackle crop loans, the need to maintain high-yielding crops by reducing input costs, including seeds, analyzing climate-resilient crops suitable for each region and the needs.
The department will support short-matured rice paddy seeds if farmers want to replant them before season-end. If they have difficulties replanting paddy, they are urged to grow cash crops to mitigate their loss and circulate capital for the next growing season.
The department has been joining hands with related organizations to provide technical assistance and agricultural needs. He reiterated that he would make concerted efforts on this.
Similarly, a team led by the director of the paddy crop division and head of Nay Pyi Taw’s Agriculture Department instructed a farmer U Nyunt Tin, to have ratooning on its 0.5-acre flooded field in Kyitaunggan village-tract, Zeyathiri Township, on 19 September during their field trip. Then, they also demonstrated a pesticide collaboration campaign to prevent pesticide risks during their visit to U Myo Win Tun’s 2 acres of monsoon paddy field.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation has urged the farmers to replant crops after the flood. At present, the ministry has been arranging to provide suitable seeds and equipment for ploughing to repair farmland and prepare seed beds in flood-stricken areas. Therefore, irrigation channels are being restored to reach unaffected farm areas. Those farmers in need can enquire about the nearest Agriculture Department and Agricultural Mechanization Department to get access to seeds and equipment, the ministry notified.
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