Rural residents' income increase is important, says President Min Aung Hlaing

Approximately 70 percent of our country's population resides in rural areas, and over 50 percent of those working are employed in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry. It has been analyzed that about 30 percent of the population is living in poverty, highlighting the importance of increasing the income of rural residents, said Head of State Min Aung Hlaing. This was stated in his opening remarks at the national-level workshop titled "From Agricultural Sector Development to National Product Increase," held on September 21 at the Myanmar International Convention Centre (1) in Nay Pyi Taw. Therefore, by systematically transforming traditional agriculture and livestock farming and increasing productivity, it will be possible to obtain value-added products and thus earn more income, he said. He also stated that a nation's socio-economic development begins with production, and that we must increase production based on agriculture, livestock, natural resources, and human resources. He added that the raw materials produced should not be sold or exported as raw materials, but should be processed, packaged, and improved in quality to become value-added products. He said that only when value-added production is possible can products be distributed and sold in the domestic market, as well as exported to foreign markets. When sales are linked to the market, producers' incomes will increase, enabling business expansion and investment. As businesses develop, more direct and indirect employment opportunities will be created, and as employment and income increase, the people's livelihoods will improve, and education, health, and living standards will also improve, he said. Furthermore, he stated that as production and trade increase, the nation's national income will increase, leading to the development of the national economy, said Head of State Min Aung Hlaing.