In order to boost the country’s agriculture and husbandry industries, the government may offer loans to farms and lift the ban on livestock export (Ministry of Planning and Finance)

The government has signalled its latest measure to boost the country’s agriculture and husbandry industries by offering loans to farms and lifting the ban on livestock export, according to the Ministry of Planning and Finance.

At a meeting with Vice President U Myint Swe and businessmen on July 20, Union Minister for the Ministry of Planning and Finance U Kyaw Win said that the administration will issue loans to farmers and allow them to export livestock.

Livestock are included in those commodities which not allowed to be exported from Myanmar and thus the policy means that the government is lifting its ban on livestock export.

The minister added that those policies are part of the government’s measures to develop the agriculture and animal husbandry industries.

The government is under preparation to support the whole supply chain of the agriculture sector. Currently, the Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank (MADB) is planning to issue loans only for crops, according to U Kyaw Win.

“We will provide loans to farmers. We will implement our programs step-by-step.

“Through this measure, the government will financially support farmers and the agriculture sector,” he said.

In addition, the government will set up more designated agricultural trading zones in all the regions and states in the country. The administration has already made plans with the relevant regional and state governments to move ahead regarding those zones.

U Kyaw Win said that they had already met with stakeholders from farming zones in different regions and from the husbandry sector. The government will undertake the required financial commitment.

He added that they will give permission to export livestock and lift the ban on livestock export after reporting to the National League for Democracy’s Economic Committee.  

“In the past, we were worried that the agriculture sector would be affected regarding export matters.

“But now, we will give permission to export animals as we have known that regions and states have enough cattle, according to the discussion,” the minister explained.

He added that the government will permit slaughter licenses for livestock and export of animals and dairy products without restrictions.

(The Myanmar Times: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/business/26929-ministry-to-lift-ban-on-livestock-export.html )

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