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Increasing sesame cultivation in Mon state
Thu 22 Nov 2007,
IMNA
Oil crop cultivation has come down in Mon State despite the cultivable area tripling in size. Authorities have forcibly expanded the area of oil crop farming even though farmers are not interested in growing the crop.
Junta authorities planned to grow oil crop on about 1,000 acres in two townships, Mudon and Paung, in earlier years. Now they have expanded into four townships, Ye, Thanphyuzayart, Kyaikmayaw, and Chaung-zone, cultivating sesame, groundnut, and sunflower.
Yesterday, about 20 villagers were forced to grow sesame near the bridge between Mudon and Thanphyuzayart Township.
"They (authorities) forced us to cultivate sesame and sunflower which led to the closure of the high way and the railway due to the inaugural ceremony to show how productive the village is," a farmer in Kamawet village said.
The local authorities transported seed from upper Burma (Myanmar), from places such as the Irrawaddy and Magwe Divisions. They sold the seed to farmers at a cost of 30,000 Kyat per basket of sesame and 15,000 Kyat per basket of sunflower, he added.
A former manager from the Agricultural Department said that the poor quality seed are not good for cultivation in Mon State. The top soil and climate in Mon State are also different from that in upper Burma.
The farmers would not plant the seeds bought from authorities because of its low yield, the former manager said.
The quality of seed bought from authorities is so bad that some farmers even used it for making snacks.
If the seeds are planted, farmers will grow them just to obey the authorities, but they won't use fertilizer to nurture the plants, the farmer from Kamawet village said.
The Myanmar Agricultural Service (MAS) mostly supports the special zone in the fields where the Southeast Command and Lieutenant General are likely to visit.
According to the New Light of Myanmar, every state and division cultivates sesame, groundnut, and sunflower to bring down imports from foreign countries.
It reported that 1.8 million acres of groundnut, 3.6 million acres of sesame, and 1.5 million acres of sunflowers were cultivated between the years 2006 and 2007. It urged farmers to grow enough seeds for Burma's domestic market.
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