Myanmar has launched a strategic plan for developing rice production in a bid to boost agricultural sector
The plan aims to develop 7.7mn hectares for paddy cultivation, 9.9mn tonnes for domestic consumption and six million tonnes for export in 2030 with a yield of 4.1 tonnes per hectare, Xinhua reported.
According to the Myanmar Rice Federation, the country exported 1.8mn tonnes of rice in fiscal year 2014-15, up 50 per cent from 1.2mn tons in 2013-14 and 28.5 per cent from 1.4mn tons in 2012-13.
The country estimates that its rice export to hit two million tonnes in 2015-16, expecting to become one of the world’s top three rice exporters in the next few years.
Growing demand of rice from China, Africa and Europe is also prompting Myanmar’s rice export, added the federation.
Meanwhile, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has been cooperating with Myanmar in promoting the country’s rice production sector since 1960.
