Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw says new laws should be enacted if current laws are insufficient for farmers' interests

It is necessary to work towards enacting new laws as needed if the current laws are insufficient regarding the interests of farmers, said Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Ri. On July 9, Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U Khin Ri said this when he visited the members of the Committee for Farmers' Affairs at the Hluttaw Affairs Building (I-6) along with Pyithu Hluttaw Deputy Speaker U Maung Maung Ohn and officials from the Pyithu Hluttaw Office. The Deputy Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw said that as the Chairman of the Hluttaw Rights Committee, he is striving to ensure that Hluttaw representatives can successfully carry out the daily affairs of the Hluttaw. He also said that they must work to make the Hluttaw a prestigious Hluttaw during their five-year term. He stated that the role of the Hluttaw will increase only if the capacity of each representative is high, and therefore, legal training and discussions are being organized to enhance the qualifications of the representatives. He also said that training beneficial to the representatives will continue to be provided in the future. Following this, the Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw expressed his hope that the committee would contribute to the advancement of the Hluttaw's role with unique steps. He said that the Hluttaw must study and analyze the existing laws that have been enacted and implement necessary amendments and supplements in accordance with the times. Furthermore, he said that after analyzing the current political, economic, and social situations, laws that need to be newly enacted must be enacted. Regarding the interests of farmers, he said that if the current laws are insufficient, efforts must be made to enact new laws as needed. He also said that as Hluttaw representatives represent the people, they must work to implement the voices of the people in accordance with the motto of the Hluttaw by opening representative offices in their respective constituencies, asking questions in the Hluttaw, and submitting motions. He stated that farmers constitute about 70 percent of the country's population and that the country is based on agriculture, making the Committee for Farmers' Affairs an important committee. He further said that the committee's duties and responsibilities must also be amended and supplemented to be consistent with the current situation. He also said that for the socio-economic development of farmers, the committee must conduct detailed studies on issues such as input costs that farmers are actually facing today, timely access to agricultural loans, and obtaining fair prices for paddy, and coordinate and negotiate with relevant organizations. He also said that the Hluttaw has submitted and approved a proposal to form a "Commission for Price Control of Agricultural Products from Farmlands, Paddy Fields, and Orchards." He said that detailed studies and analyses must be conducted to address issues such as land problems faced by farmers, labor shortages in agriculture, climate change, natural disasters, and the cycle of debt. He also said that the government is also paying special attention to the interests of farmers, and therefore, we must cooperate and assist. Therefore, he urged them to review and analyze the process of amending and supplementing laws related to farmers and work towards progress. He also said that based on the information obtained from meetings with relevant ministries, other organizations, NGOs, and INGOs regarding farmers, efforts must be made to submit questions and proposals in the Hluttaw that prioritize the interests of farmers. He said that when the committee reviews laws for the protection of farmers' interests, it should study and analyze to ensure that provisions such as affordable input costs, stable crop prices, crop storage systems and market access, agricultural technology training, and climate-based agricultural advisory services are fully included so that farmers can fully enjoy their socio-economic benefits. He also said that if necessary, efforts should be made to enact individual laws such as the Contract Farming Law, Crop Insurance Law, Agricultural Extended Service Law, and Agricultural Marketing Law, or a comprehensive law that can protect the interests of farmers, so that the Hluttaw can become a reliable institution for farmers, who are important to the country.