Historically and at present, the primary method for rendering arable land is the slash-and-burn

method (also known as “shifting cultivation” or “swiddening”).[5] This involves setting fire to areas of
primary forest or secondary forest to create fields where crops can be cultivated. After these fields
are used for a time and the nutrients in the soil are used up, the land is abandoned and allowed to
grow freely.[5][6] Growth begins in the one to three years following the land’s abandonment, and
within 10 to 20 years it is once again able to hold an established secondary forest.

Sometimes, this arable land is converted into rice paddies, a common agricultural technique in
southern and eastern Asia. In Burma, the paddies are flooded only occasionally by rivers, while a
majority of the time farmers rely on the monsoon season for the necessary water. The paddies have
an “impermeable subsoil”, on top of which is a saturated layer of mud, and lastly around 4–6 inches
of water.

Livestock

Farmers in Burma raise livestock for both food and labour purposes. This includes cattle, water
buffalo, goats, sheep, oxen, chickens, and pigs. Oxen and water buffalo are used as draft animals
throughout the country, while most cattle are raised in the dryer northern regions.[4] Goats are kept
by farmers in pasture for their milk.[2]

Farmers in Burma were affected by the outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu strand in Asia. Initially, the
Mandalay and Sagaing regions of Burma were affected, and this resulted in the culling of several
thousand chickens, quails and their eggs. However, as of 2006, the country’s livestock officials
announced a plan to fund the restocking of birds and feed for the affected poultry farms.

Fishing

Fishing makes up a fair portion of Burma’s food production. Fishing occurs in both salt and
freshwater, and it is estimated that there are up to 300 species in the Burmese fresh waters. Of
these, there are several endemic species, including the Indostromus paradoxus of the Indawgyi Lake
in Northern Burma.[9] Moreover, dried and salted fish is an integral part of the country’s cuisine,
and the primary source of protein in the Burmese diet.[4]

In Burma, there are several types of fisheries, including coastal or inshore fisheries, and offshore or
deep-sea fisheries. A majority of these fish are harvested by commercial means, which includes the
use of trawling nets, purse seins, driftnet and gillnet. A minority still use traditional techniques, such
as hook-and-line, cast net, bag net, trammel gill net, lift net, and traps. In 2003, trawling accounted
for 40% of fish caught.[10]

In the 1980s, the Burmese government sought to encourage deep-sea fishing, and since then there
has been a steady increase in the yearly catches. In 1989, Thai companies were given permission to
fish in the coastal waters of Burma, using trawlers to harvest fish.
Forestry

Though Burma’s neighbours, such as India, China, and Thailand, have depleted most of their forests,
and despite slash-and-burn techniques, Burma is still considered to be relatively rich in forests and
the resources they provide. It is considered by some to be “the last frontier of biodiversity in
Asia.”[4] In Burma, teak, acadia, bamboo, and ironwood are raised, harvested, and exported.[11]
The country is the leading supplier of teak in the international market, and is a substantial supplier of
bamboo.