First horticulture show opens in Myanmar

Myanmar's first ever horticulture show was inaugurated here Saturday on a grand scale to encourage fruit and vegetable growing.

The four-day horticulture show at the Myaypadetha Island near the Kandawgyi Lake, which will last until next Tuesday, displays a variety of fruits and vegetable produced by different regions in the country.

The horticulture show is attached with a seminar on Myanmar fruit, vegetable and flower, also the first of its kind, with resource persons submitting papers on the aspects.

These persons come from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Ministry of Commerce, Yezin University of Agriculture, the Myanmar Fruit, Vegetable and Flower Producers Association and Mandalay Technological University.

Besides, contest on plants and fruits displayed by growers is also introduced and those winning the first three prizes will be rewarded cash.

Myanmar has stressed the extended production of high-yield fruits and vegetable to boost export by taking the advantage of the climatic conditions and geographic superiority of the country.

There are 100 kinds of kitchen crops including over 70 kinds of fruits produced by Myanmar along with vegetables.

Sown areas of fruit trees have reached 729,000 hectares in the country, while that of vegetable 405,000 hectares and that of kitchen crops such as chilli, onion and potatoes 263,250 hectares, according to official figures.

In 2006, Myanmar exported over 20,600 tons of mangoes, over 16, 000 tons of cucumbers, over 4,000 tons of tamarind, over 73,000 tons of watermelons and over 3,200 tons of plum, the official statistics show.

Watermelon and musk melon were previously harvested for three months in a year but now it has been so for all year round, according to growers.

Myanmar is rich with tropical fruit resources such as mango, banana, pine-apple, strawberry, durian, mangosteen, papaya, tamarind, and coconut.

Meanwhile, Myanmar is making feasibility study to set up an international-level fruit and vegetable sales center, aimed at promoting export and consumption of fresh and quality fruit and vegetable in the country, fruit traders said.

Such center is to be established under a master plan, according to the Fruit Growers, Producers and Exporters Association.

There are so far three major fruit and vegetable markets in Yangon for local consumers.

Source: Xinhua