THE Seed Division under the Myanma Agriculture Service has begun
distributing more than 100,000 baskets of registered paddy seeds
to selected farmers under a government plan to achieve a target
yield of 100 baskets an acre.
The division’s assistant manager, U Than Lwin said about
20 varieties will be planted by the farmers to produce certified
seeds that help to increase paddy production.
He said the registered seeds will be grown during the summer
and monsoon crops and the resulting certified seeds will be distributed
to other farmers in the following seasons.
U Than Lwin said the varieties are capable of yielding between
80 to 100 baskets an acre.
He said the Seed Division received about 100 baskets of breeder
seeds a year from the Department of Agricultural Research at Yezin
in Mandalay Division to produce foundation seeds which are grown
to produce registered seeds.
About 10,000 baskets of registered seeds will be planted in
this summer paddy and the balance will be grown in the monsoon
crop, he said.
U Than Lwin said more than 30 paddy varieties were grown or
were being developed by the Seed Division. The 20 varieties were
being distributed at the request of the selected farmers, who
were regarded by the government as being the best suited to cultivate
registered seeds.