A century of rice improvement in Burma - IRRI books - International ...

aise production to the highest possible level; and 4) to lay the foundation forheavy industries based on mineral production.The plan, calling for the transformation of the economic structure from anagricultural to an agriculture-based industrial economy, aimed to raise thestandard of living of the people by the plan’s termination date, 1993-94. At thistime, the share of contribution to the state should be: 48% from the publicsector, 26% from the cooperative sector, and 26% from the private sector. Theagricultural sector plan had three basic objectives: 1) to achieve food sufficiency,2) to provide sufficient raw materials for the industries, and 3) to assure exportof surplus products to increase capital investment.The first 4-year plan (in reality, only 3 yr: from 1971-72 to 1973-74) mightbe considered a preparatory period. This paved the way for the second 4-yrplan (1974-75 to 1977-78), which, in essence, marked the beginning of the 20-yr plan. The annual plan covers the period from April of the current year toMarch of the following year.Considering the targets of the four-year plan, the yearly plan was firstformulated at the central level, passed on to the divisional level, forwarded tothe township level, and finally sent to the village tract level for evaluation.With suggested changes, the plan was returned to the central level, usingthe same channels. The yearly plan was now finalized and submitted toparliament (Pyithu Hluttaw) to be promulgated as law in support of the plan’simplementation for the year. The performance report of the previous year wasalso simultaneously presented in the ”Report to the Pyithu Hluttaw on theFinancial, Economic, and Social Conditions of the Socialist Republic of theUnion of Burma.” Most data quoted in this analysis came from such yearlyreports and department reports.Rice area and productionRice production was steady in the beginning of the period and picked uprapidly toward the end. Increased production was initially brought about byarea expansion and later by yield increases. Strong support services maintainedthe momentum. Changes in the government’s administrative structure andpeople’s participation in the implementation of the national development planfacilitated progress.AreaThe agricultural sector plan encouraged crop intensification rather than areaexpansion to increase rice production. But the plan also called for recultivationof fallow ricelands abandoned during the war. During the period, areadevoted to rice increased slowly and reached its prewar level only in 1963, 18yr after the war. Since then, the rice area remained constant, with slightvariations due to weather abnormalities.RICE PRODUCTION UNDER THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC GOVERNMENT 57