Rice Production In Myanmar

The introduction of rice production in Myanmar

Rice production is one of the biggest production in Myanmar that

accounts for approximately 43% of total agricultural production in our
country, which makes it the 6th biggest producer of rice worldwide.
Out of 67.6 million hectares of land, 12.8 million are used for cultivation.
In 2019 alone, Myanmar accounted for 13,300 million metric tons of
milled rice production.
Throughout history, Myanmar established itself as a major rice-producing
and exporting country due to favorable weather for rice paddies and
governmental intervention in the form of agricultural policies. The
production is undertaken using traditional cultivation methods,
particularly during the monsoon season, which has led to the development
of different varieties of rice. Recent global economic policies have led to
increasing international cooperation with NGOs and other organizations,
that have provided financial and technological assistance to rice farmers.
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 History
• Men who lived a long time ago did not know how
to farm, they only hunt animals for food. Later,
they know how to farm and they started making
clothes made out of cotton or leather. Pests
destroyed the farm so men tamed dogs. Dogs are
loyal pets and can be trusted. So, when men hunt
other animals, they use dogs, or when they were
away, the dog guards the men. Later, people build
houses and they made their cities. Immediately
before World War II, Myanmar was the largest
rice producer in the world, with a multitude of
exporting partners throughout Asia and Europe.

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 Geography of Myanmar
• The climate across the majority of Myanmar allows for rice cultivation to dominate the
national economy as the primary export. Rice production is based on its environment,
resulting in rain-fed lowland rice, winter rice, deep-water rice, upland rice, and irrigated
rice. Out of the three distinct seasons, the monsoon season is the main rice production
season as rice paddies rely on copious amounts of water. The annual rainfall averages from
800 mm to approximately 5,000 mm during the monsoon season from May to October.

• Primarily rice is grown across the Ayeyarwady, Bago, and Yangon delta regions due to the

major river system running across. These respectively account for 33.59%, 17.72%, and
10.07% of the total harvestable area. However, the dry and mountainous zones such as 
Mandalay, Sagaing, and Magway as well as coastal regions of Mon and Rakhine States also
play a minor role in rice production.

• During the monsoon season, the delta region accounts for 7,218 million tons of rice, the
dry zone accounts for 3,564 million tons, coastal accounts for 1,836 million tons, and
mountainous regions account for 2,296 million tons.

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Rice Production

• Rice production in Myanmar is heavily dependent on human and animal

power, both traditional methods of cultivation. The country has four types of
soils that ensure optimal rice growing: gleysols, fluvisols, humic planosols
 and vertisols. 
• Although soil has a large impact on rice yields, there are many constraints
that affect production. Constraints to the rice industry have varied
throughout history, generally being a consequence of governmental action.
Additional constraints include unpredictable weather that directly impacts
the rice yield, such as the flooding in July/August 2018 which caused a 1.5%
decline in rice production, as well as low seed quality and fertilizer amounts.
A study found that high fertilizer prices, shortages of irrigated water and the
educational level of farmers was hindering rice production growth.
• To produce rice, the land is prepared according to the environmental region
where the paddy is located. In rain-fed lowlands, the preferred method of
establishing crops is manual transplanting where the rice is partially
submerged (known as wet rice cultivation).

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 > There are three types of growing conditions as part of wet rice
cultivation:
htz •Plants are kept partially submerged by natural rainfall during monsoon season.
dixel •Plants are kept partially submerged due to natural drainage/irrigation in conjunction
with natural rainfall.
•Plants are grown on bordering lakes prone to flooding.
ksl In upland and deep-water rice plantations, direct seeding is the preferred method.
This involves broadcasting or dibbling non-germinated seeds to dry soils to establish
crops, which are transplanted during monsoon season.
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Historically, rice was cultivated during the monsoon season once a year, with rare
pulse crops planted among heavy clay soil areas in the delta following the main rice
harvest.
am Today, thanks to irrigation systems, rice can be grown year long. During monsoon
season, the rice crops require minimal intervention and are generally planted at the
end of November.
 Fun facts

• In Myanmar, rice forms the basis of everyday meals and is

the important crop in the country.
• 2. At first, the farmers don't use machines but they use
more technology and machines so they can farm faster
and the rice is even greater than before
• 3. The researchers make their scientific trials in the
farmer’s fields so they could learn first hand
• 4. The rice was a collaboration between ACIAR, IRRI, the
Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Irrigation.
• 5. To get good rice they(farmers)grew different rice
varieties then brought farmers to the fields and let them
choose the variety they liked.
• 6. BAGO is the largest rice-growing city in Myanmar.
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THANK Q~