Salt-tolerant rice varieties will be cultivated in Myeik District, Tanintharyi Region, where more than 4,300 acres of farmland have been affected by seawater intrusion.
Tanintharyi Region, a coastal area that relies on rice supplies from other regions and states due to insufficient local production, has been facing saltwater intrusion in agricultural lands.
To address this issue, a technical seminar on the cultivation of salt-tolerant rice varieties in seawater-affected areas was held on July 8 at the Technology Dissemination Center in Kweku Village, Sandawut Village Tract, Myeik Township, Myeik District, Tanintharyi Region.
"Myeik District has a rural population of about 70 percent, and all agricultural development efforts are aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of rural communities. The regional government invited Dr. Phyu Pyar Lwin, a researcher from the Agricultural Research Institute who is conducting research and production of salt-tolerant rice varieties, to discuss ways to increase rice yields in areas affected by saltwater intrusion," said U Aung Kyaw Kyaw Oo, Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of Tanintharyi Region.
Myeik District plans to cultivate 117,064 acres of rain-fed paddy during the 2026-2027 fiscal year. In saltwater-affected areas, farmers were provided with newly developed salt-tolerant rice varieties, including Ayeyar Maung, Shwe Pyi Min, and Shwe Pyi Win, which are suitable for cultivation in saline conditions.
