General Information
· Main climates: Tropical Wet, Tropical Wet Upland (600-1 000 m above sea), Tropical Wet and Dry, Tropical Highland (> 1 000 m above sea)
· Total land area: 66 754 000 ha
· Internal renewable water resources: 1 802 km3
· GNP per capita, 1998: PPP$
· Main food consumed: Rice, Oil & Fat, Pulses, Sugar & Honey, Nuts
· Rice supply, 1999: 315.7 kg paddy/capita/year
Basic Statistics
|
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
2000 |
RICE |
|
|
|
|
Harvested area (M ha) |
4.66 |
4.76 |
6.03 |
6.0 |
Yield (kg/ha) |
3071 |
2935 |
2976 |
3333 |
Production (M t) |
14.31 |
13.97 |
17.95 |
20.0 |
Imports (t) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
NA |
Exports (T t) |
581 |
213 |
353 |
NA |
OTHERS |
|
|
|
|
Population (M) |
37.54 |
40.52 |
42.87 |
NA |
Agr population (M) |
27.99 |
29.68 |
30.77 |
NA |
Irrigated agr area (T ha) |
1085 |
1005 |
1555 |
NA |
Fertilizer cons (T t) |
194 |
70 |
179 |
NA |
Agr tractor in use (T units) |
10.02 |
13.00 |
7.81 |
NA |
Producing Zones and Cropping Seasons
Most of rice is grown in the Delta of the Ayeyarwady River. The following table shows the rice-harvested areas from different producing zones.
Production zone |
Harvested area (% total harvested area) |
Ayeyarwady Division |
33.59 |
Bago Division |
17.72 |
Yangon Division |
10.07 |
Sagaing Division |
8.88 |
Shan State |
5.95 |
Rakhine State |
5.84 |
Mon State |
4.97 |
Mandalay Division |
4.89 |
Magway Division |
3.25 |
Kachin State |
1.93 |
Tanintharyi Division |
1.50 |
Chin State |
0.59 |
Kayah State |
0.50 |
Kayin State |
0.31 |
Rice cropping seasons varies with agro-ecological conditions as shown in the following table.
|
Planting |
Harvesting |
Normal rainfed lowland and upland |
5-6 |
1--12 |
Late rainfed lowland |
7-8 |
11-12 |
Deepwater |
4-5 |
11-12 |
Mayin (receding) rice |
10-11 |
2-3 |
Irrigated wet season |
5-6 |
10-11 |
Irrigated dry season |
11-12 |
4-5 |
Production Practices
The following figure shows the harvested areas from different rice ecologies during the last five years.
Land preparation is done either with animal traction or tractors. Manual transplanting is a popular method of crop establishment in rainfed lowland and irrigated ecologies, while direct seeding by broadcasting or dibbling non-germinated seeds to dry soils is used to establish upland and deepwater rice crops. Late sown rice in rainfed lowlands is transplanted during monsoon season when water becomes stagnant and Mayin rice is receding-rice, which is transplanted after monsoon when water recedes. Recently direct row seeding was introduced to reduce labor costs and time in transplanting of rice crops. Since 1970s, a substantial number of high yielding rice varieties (HYV) have been developed and released for rainfed lowland and irrigated ecologies. During the 1970s and early 1980s, the popular varieties were Shwe War Tun and Seintaly were popular. Recently varieties Thi Htat Yin, Shwe Thwe Yin, and Sin Akari-2 (released after 1990) are popular in rice-rice systems. More than 70 percent of lowland rice crops in 1994-95 were planted with improved varieties. Recently, the country has initiated a hybrid rice development and use programme and commercial hybrid rice cultivation has been reported in limited areas in the country.
· Known planted irrigated and rainfed lowland varieties
Variety Name |
Released period |
Growth duration (days) |
BR 9 |
1995-99 |
120 |
BYAT |
NA |
NA |
Hmawbi (IR 21836-90-3) |
NA |
NA |
Ka The Nga Cheik |
NA |
NA |
Kyaw Ze Ya |
1980-84 |
145 |
Lone Thwe Shwe War |
before 1975 |
125 |
Lone-Thwe-Hmwe |
NA |
155 |
Ma Naw Hari |
before 1975 |
145 |
NGWE-TOE |
NA |
NA |
Pa Le Thwe (Pelita L-1) |
1975-79 |
135 |
Sein Lay |
before 1975 |
135 |
Sein Talay |
1975-79 |
145 |
Shwe Thwe Lay |
1975-79 |
135 |
Shwe Thwe Yin |
After 1990 |
125-130 |
Shwe War Hnan |
before 1975 |
125 |
Shwe War Lay |
1975-79 |
105 |
Shwe War Tun |
before 1975 |
145 |
Shwe War Yin |
before 1975 |
125 |
Sin Akari-2 |
After 1990 |
125-130 |
Sin Ekari 1 |
1980-84 |
150 |
Sin Ekari 2 |
1985-89 |
125 |
Sin Ekari 3 |
1985-89 |
135 |
Sin Ekari 4 |
1985-89 |
145 |
Sin Shwe Thwe |
1975-79 |
135 |
Sin Thein Gi |
1975-79 |
145 |
Sin Thi Ri |
1975-79 |
135 |
Theedai Yin |
1990-94 |
115 |
Thi Hat 1 |
1985-89 |
135 |
Thi Hat 2 |
1985-89 |
125 |
Thi Hat 3 |
1985-89 |
125 |
Thi Htat Yin |
After 1990 |
125-130 |
Tun Thiri |
1995-99 |
NA |
Ya Gyaw 1 |
before 1975 |
155 |
Ya Gyaw 2 |
before 1975 |
145 |
Yadana Aung |
1990-94 |
105 |
Yar 8 |
1990-94 |
115 |
· Known planted deepwater and tidal wetland rice varieties
Variety Name |
Released period |
Growth duration (days) |
Ya Net 3 |
1980-84 |
155 |
Ya Net 4 |
1980-84 |
155 |
Ya Net 5 |
1985-89 |
175 |
Ya Net 6 |
1985-89 |
175 |
Ya Net 7 |
1985-89 |
155 |
Yenet 1 |
1980-84 |
NA |
Yenet 2 |
1980-84 |
NA |
Yenet 8 |
1985-89 |
175 |
Sa Nga Khan 1 |
1985-89 |
135 |
Sa Nga Khan 2 |
1985-89 |
135 |
Sa Nga Khan 3 |
1985-89 |
140 |
Sa Ngan Khan 4 |
1985-89 |
120 |
· Known planted upland varieties
Variety Name |
Released period |
Growth duration (days) |
C 22 |
NA |
NA |
Khaopapyu |
NA |
NA |
Yar Saba 1 |
1980-84 |
125 |
Yar Saba 2 |
1980-84 |
125 |
Yar Saba 3 |
1980-84 |
135 |
Yar Saba 4 |
1980-84 |
135 |
Yar Saba 5 |
1980-84 |
135 |
Yar Saba 6 |
1980-84 |
135 |
C 4-63 |
before 1975 |
125 |
The amount of fertilizers applied to rice is still limited. This is probably a major reason for the low yields of rice. The following table shows the responses of rice to fertilizer application in the country.
Other information |
Test range (kg/ha) |
Control rate (kg/ha) |
Control yield (t/ha) |
Rate at Maximum yield (kg/ha) |
Maximum yield (t/ha) |
Nitrogen (N) |
|||||
Reported in 58-60, avg 179 trials, Old delta alluvium, Rainfed lowland |
0-44.8 |
0 |
1.26 |
44.8 |
2.14 |
Reported in 58-60, avg 225 trials, Coastal alluvium, Rainfed lowland |
0-44.8 |
0 |
1.37 |
44.8 |
2.14 |
Reported in 58-60, avg 95 trials, Delta alluvium, Rainfed lowland |
0-44.8 |
0 |
1.45 |
0 |
1.45 |
Reported in 58-60, avg 100 trials, Upper Burma alluvium, Rainfed lowland |
0-44.8 |
0 |
1.32 |
44.8 |
2.56 |
Constraints and Issues of Sustainable Production
Drought stress and floods in large rainfed rice areas due to unreliable rainfall distribution.
Weeds, insects, diseases and snails.
In Ayeyawardy and Yangoon division, salinity due to intrusion of season water.
Inadequate credits and input supply.
Rural poverty.
The following table shows the rice production costs.
Other information |
Yield (t/ha) |
Cost (kyats/ha) |
Cost (kyats/t) |
Coastal zone, 1984 |
1.87 |
1 045 |
558 |
Dry zone, 1984 |
1.71 |
1 242 |
726 |
Rainfed, 1984 |
1.45 |
1 025 |
706 |
Northeastern zone, 1984 |
1.3 |
1 278 |
983 |
Rice yield has increased steadily during the last five years. The country still has large potential for increasing rice production. There is adequate water for irrigation development and to provide adequate water to the large rainfed lowland rice area. Also, higher rice yield could be obtainable with the increased use of fertilizer. Appropriate policy for rice development is, however, needed for a substantial increase in rice production.
Research and Development Institutes
· Agricultural Experimental Research Station Mandalay Central Farm Mandalay Mandalay
· Myanmar Agricultural Service, Yangoon Phone: (951)-66-70-39 Fax: (951)-66-79-91
· Rice Division, Central Agricultural Research Institute, Yezin, Pyinmana Phone: (95-67)-21-118 Fax: (95-1)-66-79-91
· Rice Division, Central Rice Research Institute, Yezin, Pyinmana, Myanmar.
· Agricultural Research Institute, Agriculture Corporation, Yezin, Pynmana
· Agricultural Experimental Research Station, Central Farm Hmawbi
· Agricultural Experimental Research Station, Lungyaw, Kyaukse Township
· Agricultural Experimental Research Station Mudon
· Agriculture Corporation 72-74, Shwedagon Pagoda Road Yangon Phone: 83480 Telex: 21311
· Applied Research Division, Agriculture Corporation, Gyogon Insein Road, Yangon Telex: 21331