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established practice among farmers, was set aside when chemical fertilizersbecame available. Farmers thought that with fertilizers, there was no moreneed for FYM. They did not realize the complementary nature of the two, andit was thus necessary to correct this misinformation.The impact point for proper weeding was necessitated by improper tillageoperations. A properly tilled plot with good water management seldomrequired weeding. In this perspective, these two impact points were related.Proper drainage and irrigation or keeping an adequate level of water underrainfed rice cultivation was a technique the farmers had learned through theyears.Control of insects and diseases was especially critical in the case of newlyintroduced MVs that were prone to insect and disease attack when givenhigher doses of fertilizer.The last impact point—minimizing losses—was essential as farmers usedto delay harvesting (because of labor shortage) without realizing the magnitudeof losses incurred. These losses could be substantial, since their judgmentof the right harvest time was always 5-10 d off the optimum.The BSPP and the Farmers’ Assiayones provided the political leadership,while the state agencies assisted in every possible way to successfully implementWTRPP. At the township level, a Township Party Unit provided politicalleadership, and the Township People’s Council, assisted by AC, supervisedWTRPP implementation. Since the members of the Township Party Unit andthe People’s Council belonged to the township, they were familiar with thephysical, biological, social, and economic milieu of their constituents. Theywere authorized to coordinate the activities of the various government agencieswithin the township and make decisions about program implementation. ATownship Extension Manager, with his staff of extension workers, took anactive role in technology transfer and input distribution. Each VEM supervised800 ha (or approximately 300 farm families); this compared favorably with thenational average of 1500 ha.Selectivity and concentrationOn the national scale, agricultural sector investment had increased, but itsshare relative to the industrial sector remained small. Rather than spread thelimited resources equally but thinly, the strategy opted to use all resources inareas where there was high probability of success. Selectivity was applied interms of locality, rice variety, extension personnel, and management method.Townships with manageable size, reasonably good physical conditions, andaccessibility were selected. From the research results, exotic and local ricevarieties were selected to suit chosen localities. Selectivity of extension personnelinvolved choosing young, active, innovative team workers with the rightattitude toward the farmers. Other criteria included technical capability,imagination, diligence, and appreciation of the farmer’s life.RICE PRODUCTION UNDER THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC GOVERNMENT 87
Mass participationThe new technology had a high labor requirement. However, rural populationincreased at a faster pace than did area expansion. There was rural underemploymentbecause agriculture, being seasonal, demanded more labor at aspecific time-more than what the locality could provide. This was especiallytrue of transplanting and harvesting, the two most labor-consuming operationsin rice cultivation. The new technology required transplanting of 25- to30-day-old seedlings at twice the number of planting hills. The high laborrequirement was met by voluntary exchange of labor among villages ortownships as organized by the People’s Councils. A mass movement involvingstudents and other workers was likewise mobilized. Musicians and dancerswere among the volunteer labor who provided entertainment through songsand dances depicting MV cultivation (Fig. 11, 12). Agriculture, being the mainsector of the country’s economy, drew the attention of the masses; its progresswas everybody’s concern.Demonstration and competitionThe strategy encouraged farmers to demonstrate their capability in riceproduction by competing with each other in such activities as transplanting,harvesting, and maximizing yield. These competitions among farmers andamong townships tested their capabilities to the fullest. Township People’sCouncils awarded prizes to farmers who excelled in rice production (Fig. 13).The AC provided prizes to townships that gave the best performance in theprogram.11. Voluntary labor contribution.88 A CENTURY OF RICE IMPROVEMENT IN BURMA
Page 3 and 4:
The International Rice Research Ins
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Rice trading 29Rice milling 29Rice
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ForewordRice dominates Burma’s ec
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ice production in the last decade.
Page 14 and 15:
CHAPTER IIntroductionBurma is situa
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1. Trends in rice area and producti
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3. Soil distribution.INTRODUCTION 5
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and the rest of the country in 1885
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Rice production growth during this
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4. Rice threshing with cattle.5. Ri
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7. Transplanting.Farmers classify r
Page 28:
8. States and Divisions (1-7 are di
Page 43:
Table 11. Rice mills, 1894-1934 (DA
Page 51 and 52: Rice area and productionAlthough th
Page 53 and 54: Table 16. Rice production in select
Page 55 and 56: Tenants of State Agricultural BankA
Page 57 and 58: in 1960, representing a 17% increas
Page 59: Table 20. Summary of extension acti
Page 62 and 63: Table 24. Rice procurement by diffe
Page 64 and 65: This trade reduction severely affec
Page 66: conditions and a weak international
Page 69 and 70: the design, implementation, and eva
Page 71 and 72: Table 27 indicates the areas plante
Page 73 and 74: The coastal zone comprised four ric
Page 78 and 79: In the meantime, local researchers
Page 80 and 81: Table 35. Rice area planted, by gra
Page 83 and 84: All fertilizers were imported until
Page 85 and 86: points, 3) availability of cash amo
Page 87 and 88: hispa Hispa armigera. Though annual
Page 89 and 90: The amounts of agricultural loans g
Page 91 and 92: from double-cropped areas (Table 44
Page 93 and 94: when investment in the agricultural
Page 96 and 97: The program brought research and ex
Page 98 and 99: Table 46. Average area of responsib
Page 102 and 103: 12. Voluntary labor harvesting rice
Page 104 and 105: of harvesting. It sought voluntary
Page 106 and 107: nents that a larger project would r
Page 108 and 109: Table 48. Changes in area planted t
Page 110 and 111: Table 50. Average yield and product
Page 112 and 113: Results of analysisOf the variables
Page 114 and 115: Of the 19 variables used, 11 were s
Page 116 and 117: weather that it influenced rice pro
Page 118 and 119: Table 54. Present level of technolo
Page 120 and 121: size of holdings, 40% of the prize
Page 122 and 123: average yield at that time was 2.20
Page 124 and 125: Table 59. Monthly transactions of t
Page 126 and 127: Table 61. Irrigated areas for rice,
Page 128 and 129: Table 62. Tillage operation by trac
Page 130 and 131: 18. AFPTC rice procurement center.A
Page 132 and 133: Table 65. Annual rice procurement (
Page 134 and 135: for seeds; still others sold their
Page 136 and 137: primarily to help achieve the AFPTC
Page 138 and 139: Table 67. Annual rice production an
Page 140 and 141: Table 68. Comparison of paid-out co
Page 142 and 143: CHAPTER VImplications for the futur
Page 144 and 145: agricultural research can be brough
Page 146 and 147: Motivation of scientistsUnder these
Page 148 and 149: or as individuals. Research is to b
Page 150 and 151:
CHAPTER VIConclusionsBurma’s econ
Page 152 and 153:
References citedAdas M (1974) The B
Page 154:
SRUB—The socialist Republic of th
Page 157 and 158:
Appendix 1 continuedSown area Produ
Page 159 and 160:
Appendix II continuedShareRice a Al
Page 161 and 162:
Appendix IV continuedYear Exports Y
Page 163 and 164:
Appendix VIcontinuedVariable Symbol
Page 165 and 166:
All combined1977-84 1977-78 1978-79
Page 167 and 168:
Appendix VIII. Correlation coeffici
Page 170 and 171:
IndexAdas, M 6Africa 125, 137Agricu
Page 172 and 173:
farmers 6-9, 13, 18, 23, 25-26, 29,
Page 174 and 175:
Okpo Small Loan Department110, 111O
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