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The rates of fertilizer calculated for distribution were, therefore, much lowerthan the recommended rates. The supply level of fertilizer determined dosage.Fertilizer was imported annually. Upon arrival at the Rangoon port in theopen season (November to March), it was transported to transit storage placesfor distribution. Locally produced urea also had to be stored in various partsof the country before distribution. Fertilizer factories maintained daily production,and the AC took care of delivery and storage.Since more than 80% of the fertilizer was used for rice, the bulk of fertilizerdistribution took place between January and May, when farmers disposed oftheir rice harvest and bought fertilizer for the next season. This, in fact, was thetime the farmers had ready money for fertilizer procurement.Government loans were also disbursed during this time. Annual factoryproduction of fertilizer did not reveal the supply level for that year, but actualsupply consisted of urea in storage plus the production output from factoriesin the open season. This amount of urea, supplemented by imports, was theamount available for distribution during the year. For triple superphosphateand muriate of potash, annual procurement plus the balance made up thesupply. Distribution of fertilizer during this limited period often createdtransportation problems, especially after the energy crisis. Movement of allagricultural products took place during the open season, and fertilizer distributionwas only a small portion of this huge volume.Table 39 shows the chemical fertilizer supply level for different years andin what year utilization was highest. This table was constructed from datapresented in Reports to the Pyithu Hluttaw in 1984 and 1987. The fertilizersupply level was 200,000 t in 1979-80 and rose to 407,000 t in 1985-86, anincrease of more than 100% in a short time. The increase was mainly due to theincreased supply of urea. This amount, however, did not coincide with theutilization figures in Table 37. Utilization of fertilizer in a particular yeardepends on 1) expansion of MV area, 2) availability of stock at the distributionTable 39. Fertilizer supply, imports, and domestic production (000 t), 1979-85(SRUB 1984,1987).ImportsLocallyPeriod Triple Muriate produced TotalUrea superphosphate of potash urea1979-801980-811981-821982-831983-841984-851985-869.080.7101.0172.093.886.947.954.062.8106.687.561.5130.198.54.09.024.823.517.021.830.0133.9122.2132.5100.5116.5150.4230.8200.9274.7364.9383.5288.8389.2407.2RICE PRODUCTION UNDER THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC GOVERNMENT 71
points, 3) availability of cash among farmers, 4) production of local factoriesduring the open season and amount of importation, and 5) the activities ofextension personnel.Fertilizers were sold throughout the country using a fixed price whichreflected neither the cost of producing fertilizer locally nor the internationalprice of imported fertilizer. In the beginning, the selling price of fertilizers wasbased on the imported price plus charges for handling, storage, and transportation.The prices for different years varied; after 1974, when the use offertilizer became popular and when it played an important role in agriculture,the prices of fertilizer no longer changed with time. Prices of various fertilizersin different years are given in Table 40.Urea was sold at 768 kyats/t in 1965-66. Thereafter, with the changinginternational market price, the price went down to as low as 440 kyats in 1971-72. After 1975, local urea became predominant, and the selling price waspegged at 360 kyats/t, where it has remained up to this day. The price of triplesuperphosphate also varied with the years, from 526 kyats/t in 1966-67 to 463kyats/t in 1971-72. In 1975, it was constant at 1294 kyats/t as the internationalmarket prices spiralled because of the world energy crisis. The price of muriateof potash was pegged at 480 kyats/t in 1966-67 and increased to 598 kyats/t in1975; this price has prevailed until today.The prices of triple superphosphate and muriate of potash have notchanged for the past 13 yr. This has meant a heavy subsidy on fertilizers, witha substantial budget commitment. This burden was somehow eased by fixingthe procurement price of rice such that it fell below the international marketprice. The procurement price of rice in terms of rice equivalent averaged 42%of the average export price for the period 1982-84.The response of MVs to NPK application has been averaged from anumber of fertilizer experiments and expressed in mathematical terms (KhinWin et a1 1975):Table 40. Selling price of fertilizers (kyats/t) in different years, 1965-85.aTripleMuriatePeriod b Urea superphosphate of potash1965-661966-671970-711971-741975-85768600550440360-5265264631294480480480598a Sources: Department reports, Agricultural and Rural Development Corporation and AgriculturalCorporation. b Fertilizers were sold in 50-kg bags from 1965 to 1974. From 1975 to 1985, ureawas sold in 25kg bags and triple superphosphate and muriate of potash were distributed in 50-kg bags.72 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.
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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: All fertilizers were imported until
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 100 and 101: established practice among farmers,
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
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primarily to help achieve the AFPTC
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Table 67. Annual rice production an
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Table 68. Comparison of paid-out co
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CHAPTER VImplications for the futur
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agricultural research can be brough
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Motivation of scientistsUnder these
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or as individuals. Research is to b
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CHAPTER VIConclusionsBurma’s econ
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References citedAdas M (1974) The B
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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
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Appendix VIcontinuedVariable Symbol
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All combined1977-84 1977-78 1978-79
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Appendix VIII. Correlation coeffici
Page 170 and 171:
IndexAdas, M 6Africa 125, 137Agricu
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farmers 6-9, 13, 18, 23, 25-26, 29,
Page 174 and 175:
Okpo Small Loan Department110, 111O
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