Myanmar’s cultivable land accounts for 20 percent of total sown acreage Myanmar sees less land reclamation in comparison with other countries, accounting for a 20 percent of total sown acreage, Tin Htut Oo, the presidential economic adviser, told Seminar on Myanmar’s Economic Transition; Issues and Options held at the headquarters of the UMFCCI on November 30. “Myanmar is twice the area of Vietnam, but the former is less sown acreage than the latter. The cultivable land may be less than even 20 percent. Other countries have already reclaimed 35 percent to 40 percent as the cultivable land. In Myanmar, land disputes have appeared since the start of current presidential term. Maybe someone bought thousands of acres of land? How are we going to walk towards smallholder land development?” Tin Htut Oo said. “Myanmar didn’t considerably carry out land reclamation since the start of regaining independence. In the post-independence era, Myanmar formed Agriculture and Rural Development Corporation and developed to some degree. After 1990, the government allowed businessmen to make use of vacant and virgin lands commercially. There may be about 1 million acres of vacant and virgin land. Of them, even 20 percent has not been reclaimed yet. Some reclaimed lands do not have the legal right to use. Corporation should be established for land development. It is time to implement supply chain,” Tin Htut Oo said. Land reclamation is of great importance in Myanmar. It is also required to systematically utilise the reclaimed lands. Most lands have been in the hands of a handful of people and cronies, businessmen said. Land confiscation has started since the previous military regime in addition to the lands grabbed by the army as military-owned ones. Consequently, the government is facing protests regarding land disputes one after another in these days. There has been an increase in the number of landless people in Myanmar day by day and it is a massive problem. Especially, the farmland confiscation made the local people landless, according to annual analysis of TNI (Transnational Institute). Especially, similar events have been found in Kachin and Shan States. The IDPs have been forced to leave their homes in Kachin State. Chinese businessmen in cooperation with the local ones are also taking hold of the lands by buying them. Therefore, it is necessary to reclaim the lands and utilize the reclaimed lands in a useful way. “There has been an increase in the number of factories and houses. On the contrary, the farmlands have become lesser. To be able to avoid adverse conditions, there is a need to carry out land reclamation effectively and efficiently,” Tin Htut Oo said.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 08:05:47 +0000
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