Ayeyarwady Region Chief Minister assigns project responsibilities to 8 townships for oil crop cultivation

It is reported that the Ayeyarwady Region Chief Minister has assigned project responsibilities to 8 townships to achieve target cultivation acreage and yield for oil crops such as groundnuts, sesame, sunflowers, beans, and coffee. This assignment was made after attending the (second) day of the workshop on the development of the edible oil sector in the Ayeyarwady Region. The workshop, held at the City Hall in Pathein, was organized with the aim of "Let's strive together for Ayeyarwady's edible oil self-sufficiency" to find ways to ensure edible oil sufficiency in the Ayeyarwady Region, encourage the cultivation of more oil crops, and promote the edible oil sector along the entire value chain. At the workshop, representatives from the 8 townships presented the results of their discussions, including their respective townships' oil crop cultivation and production status based on geographical conditions, the status of seed and input acquisition and usage, the status of oil crop sales, the status of purchases and crushing by oil mills, market and price conditions, weaknesses and strengths, points to consider when expanding oil crop cultivation for the development of the edible oil sector, the need for close supervision by staff to ensure the availability of necessary seeds, inputs, and cultivation techniques, the selection and cultivation of soil types, the need for local oil mill entrepreneurs to cooperate with farmers on a profit-sharing basis, the insufficient availability of raw materials for oil crops, the status of implementing technical training for farmers, and labor shortage issues. Responsible officials from relevant departments and the Minister for Planning, Finance, and Revenue also provided supplementary discussions. In his address, the Region Chief Minister stated that project responsibilities have been assigned to the 8 townships to achieve target cultivation acreage and yield for oil crops such as groundnuts, sesame, sunflowers, beans, and coffee. He said, "It is gratifying that comprehensive discussions have been held from all sectors and all aspects regarding the weaknesses and strengths of all sectors involved in the entire chain, from the expansion of oil crop cultivation and production to oil crushing and sales, in order to develop the edible oil sector in the region. The Ayeyarwady Region possesses fertile land and abundant water resources created by nature. Residents of the region must strive with national spirit to achieve the nation's objectives. Efforts must be made to ensure that farmers effectively utilize the inputs supported by the state to achieve target yields for cultivated crops, and responsible officials must provide close supervision. Efforts must be made to produce more agricultural and livestock-based products to replace imports and reduce foreign exchange expenditure. The achievement of target yields and planned acreage for oil crops must be accelerated. To establish a sustainable and developed edible oil sector, all stakeholders involved in the edible oil production value chain, including farmers, buyers and crushers, processors and producers, traders, experts, and policymakers, must work together in unison." The Speaker of the Region Hluttaw also discussed the acquisition of technology, inputs, market stabilization, sufficient financial resources, and the selection of suitable oil crops for cultivation for the development of the edible oil sector in the Ayeyarwady Region.