NEWS - Myanmar to Reclaim More Vaca

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

Subject: NEWS - Myanmar to Reclaim More Vacant Land

NOTE: Is this actually vacant or forcibly vacated land ???


Myanmar to Reclaim More Vacant Land

               Xinhua
               08-JUN-99

               YANGON (June 9) XINHUA - Myanmar is planning to reclaim
               a total of 291,600 hectares more of vacant, virgin,
fallow and
               wet lands in the country's Mon and Kayin states following
the
               reclamation made in six states and divisions since the
               beginning of this year. 

               Study is being made on the two states if these lands are
               suitable for growing perennial and seasonal crops,
according
               to the Myanmar Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. 

               A total of 467,370 hectares of such lands have been
               reclaimed in Myanmar's Ayeyawaddy, Yangon, Bago,
               Magway and Tanintharyi divisions and Shan state to
               cultivate crops to boost the country's agricultural
production. 

               The move is also part of Myanmar's efforts to recover
from
               the effects of the Asian financial crisis. 

               In the reclamation activities, private entrepreneurs are
               allowed to export half the agricultural products to earn
hard
               currency for importing farm machinery, fertilizer and
               pesticide. 

               The government is also extending 30-year land grants to
               growers, which are extendible with land lease free of
charge.

               Myanmar's paddy production dropped steadily over the past
               few years, falling from 19 million tons in fiscal 1995-96
to
               17.66 million tons in 1996-97 and again to 17.3 million
tons
               in 1997-98. In the meantime, rice export dropped from
               354,000 tons to 93,100 tons and then to 28,300 tons
               correspondingly. 

               The figures of paddy production and rice export for
fiscal
               1998-99, which ended in March, remain to be published. 

               Myanmar's agriculture accounts for 36 percent of the
gross
               domestic product and 35 percent of the export value.