MT News
A meeting to increase production of basic foodstuffs was held at State Administration Council Chairman’s Office in Nay Pyi Taw on 12 June, addressed by Chairman of State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
The Senior General said it is a meeting in connection with the rules and duties of state and region governments to increase fish and meat and agro-good production. Moreover, the meeting will also seek means to bring down commodity prices. After SAC assumed State duties in accord with the national needs, internal groups with different views made attempts to harm the economy, while eternal organizations were imposing economic sanctions, halting aids and cooperation under various pretexts. Due to their monetary restrictions in trade, the country had to limit its foreign exchange spending. Financial monopolizers took advantage of the price gap in doing trade. There were attempts even to hurt the banking industry.
Production cost went up in the country alongside the rising prices of inputs in farming and production industries. It is assumed that commodity prices went up to extremely high levels due to the currency monopolization of avaricious persons and political opportunists. Commodity prices rose due to higher production cost, disproportion in demand and supply and unusual retail chain, he said.
Guidance has already been given to use natural fertilizers, to conduct systematic livestock farming and to reuse animal dung as organic fertilizer, to facilitate chemical fertilizer import producers with government arrangement, he added.
Dissemination of means to prioritize river water pumping projects for crops and to generate electricity with solar power in places where electricity supply is not available showed success to a certain degree. Farming industry needs an adequate amount of feed and water, he continued.
The Senior General underscored that cost reduction means for the production business cannot be applied fully till now. Rising transport cost is also one of the causes of the rising production cost. Production costs went up due to higher fuel prices and security constraints. Certain volumes of goods can be transported by trains and water vessels in accord with the Senior General’s guidance. But the transport cost will be still high due to the application of land transport in conveying important goods. Rail transport costs less. As effectiveness is still absent in public transport, region and state officials should pay serious attention to the issue.
The Senior General stressed these regions and states need to produce the sufficient volume of food supplies to prioritize the balance of supply and demand.
