ACTING President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and State Security and Peace Commission Chairman Senior General Thadoe Maha Thray Sithu Thadoe Thiri Thudhamma Min Aung Hlaing sent a message to the ceremony to mark the Peasants’ Day, which falls on 2 March 2026. The full text of the translated message is as follows: -
Esteemed peasants,
As a gesture of honouring the 64th Anniversary of Peasants’ Day of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, which falls on 2 March 2026, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes for the physical and mental well-being of all peasants residing across the nation, together with auspiciousness.
In accord with the motto: “Let us encourage production for prosperity of the Nation”, peasants are striving to develop the economy of Myanmar and ensure local food security while the State is fulfilling the requirements of quality strains of crops, farmlands, agricultural water and agricultural techniques to boost per-acre yield and achieve the target production.
Peasants are integrating the operation of agriculture and livestock activities as part of producing food for the State. The State emphasizes the development of agriculture and livestock activities with modern techniques and encourages the production of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises while taking a lead with concerted efforts to increase the export sector and achieve the target per-acre yield of crops. Moreover, four objectives of the National Defence and Security Council, including “To persistently strive for promoting the socioeconomic lives of the people through the development of agro-based industries in improving the agricultural sector, the vital foundation of the economic growth of the State”, are being implemented to secure achievements.
Esteemed Peasants,
The State is emphasizing its endeavours to enhance double-cropping capacity to boost agricultural production for the peasants to increase their incomes and ensure local food security. Seed production peasant groups and seed production cooperative societies are being formed and implemented to enable cultivating peasants to easily access and grow high-quality, high-yielding improved seed varieties. To ensure the availability of required seeds for different crops across regions, relevant departmental seed farms are carrying out seed production and certified seed multiplication activities, as well as establishing specialized seed production zones. In addition, annual seed fairs are organized to facilitate research and study on improved and certified seeds and yield enhancement.
To promote soil fertility development, both chemical and natural fertilizers are being used in proper timing and proportion. Practices such as planting cover crops for green manure, cultivating legume-based intercrops, and applying compost are being promoted. The State, through close supervision by the Steering Committee for the Purchase, Distribution, and Sale of Urea Fertilizer, supports the timely availability of chemical fertilizers for each cultivation season, ensures affordable prices, and maintains proper quality standards.
To boost per-acre yields and enable double-cropping, irrigation projects are being implemented. Measures are also taken to protect crops from damage caused by flooding, alongside efforts to ensure access to drinking water through various means. To address potential future water shortages, reservoirs, diversion weirs, lakes, sluice gates, and irrigated systems are being constructed. Moreover, dams and water supply systems damaged by natural disasters, such as Cyclone Nargis and the Mandalay earthquake, have been restored according to the prioritized needs of local farmers.
In areas outside irrigation zones where farming faces water scarcity, efforts are being made to expand cultivated land by using various water-supply methods, such as sinking tube-wells to access groundwater and distributing water through damming systems. In addition, existing tube-wells are being facilitated with solar-powered systems, and water is pumped up from rivers, streams, lakes, and canals using solar systems. These initiatives are being implemented, particularly in the arid central regions of Myanmar, with support from the State economic promotion fund to ensure adequate agricultural water for farming.
As part of technical support, guidance is being provided on technologies for preserving high-quality seeds, selecting and cultivating crops with low water requirements, choosing varieties resistant to drought and salinity, implementing systematic water-efficient irrigation methods, and managing soil fertility, seeds, and pest and disease control (soil, seeds, and pests).
Regarding crop cultivation methods, guidance is being provided on practices that must be followed from land preparation to harvest to achieve target yields, post-harvest technologies, and production techniques aligned with seasonal conditions. This includes technical training, technical workshops, demonstration plots, and field demonstration events. Agricultural officers are meeting with peasants to conduct these technical guidance activities and to help address and resolve any challenges they encounter.
Esteemed peasants,
Although Myanmar’s agricultural sector has traditionally relied on conventional methods, in the future it will need to transition to modern farming systems (Smart Farming) through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. If lead peasants can widely use AI-based applications throughout the entire cultivation process – from seed sowing to harvest – they could, for example, detect and control pest and disease outbreaks in seconds using just smartphone photos of crop leaves, and systematically plan irrigation and pesticide application based on localized weather forecasts, among other benefits.
In addition, as farmers’ digital knowledge increases, they can directly interact and consult with experts, access services through radio and agricultural TV channels, and easily view guidance materials via QR codes in technical booklets, making the dissemination of knowledge faster and more effective. Accordingly, the government is also making efforts to promote the development and widespread use of AI technologies and digital knowledge.
To reduce the import of edible palm oil from abroad and ensure that sufficient quantities of healthier cooking oils can be produced and consumed domestically for the public, I would like to strongly urge increased efforts to cultivate and produce oil crops – namely groundnut, sesame, and sunflower – with improved quality and higher yields beyond the current level of production.
To ensure that each person’s annual clothing needs are sufficiently met, to export surplus products abroad, and to substitute imports, it is necessary to cultivate and produce high-quality long-staple cotton. During the four years from the 2024-2025 financial year to the 2027-2028 financial year, emphasis is being placed on expanding the cultivation area to 600,000 acres, achieving a target yield of 700 viss per acre, and producing high-quality cotton and cotton lint. Cotton growers are therefore urged to actively make concerted efforts. The State is also providing necessary support to enable the production of new, high-quality cotton varieties. Arrangements have already been made for coordinated cooperation among the relevant ministries to ensure that the cotton and cotton wool produced can meet the domestic raw material requirements of cotton ginning factories and textile mills under the Ministry of Industry.
In the vegetable crop sector, efforts are being made to maintain quality standards and to disseminate modern post-harvest technologies to cultivating farmers as well as small, medium, and large-scale private entrepreneurs, both through virtual platforms and in-person methods. Training courses are also being conducted. Similarly, measures are being undertaken to promote the development of agro-based industries based on perennial crops such as coffee, rubber, sugarcane, and bamboo, with a focus on increasing the production of industrial raw materials.
Esteemed peasants,
To fulfil the human resource requirements necessary for the development of the State’s agriculture and livestock sectors, 15 Agricultural and Livestock Institutes are being operated to train mid-level agricultural and livestock technicians. In addition, a total of 89 Basic Education High Schools specializing in industrial, agricultural, and livestock studies have been established to nurture skilled personnel in these fields.
In accordance with the provisions of the Farmers’ Rights Protection and Promotion Law, the State is undertaking measures to ensure that peasants receive fair market access and reasonable prices for their produce. For the 2025 monsoon paddy and the 2026 summer paddy seasons, the reference floor price for 100 baskets of paddy – each basket weighing 46 pounds and meeting the prescribed quality standards – has been set and officially announced at K1.15 million.
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