New Holland Agriculture had a high-profile presence at the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF) Stakeholder Forum 2018, in the nation’s capital city of Naypiytaw on March 6th. As a Golden Sponsor of the event, New Holland displayed two tractors outside the Forum’s venue, the Myanmar International Convention Center, and received a visit at its booth from the State Counsellor of Myanmar, H. E. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
The State Counsellor opened the Forum by making a keynote speech. Describing Myanmar as “the world’s rice basket,” she called on farmers and stakeholders to strive to regain the nation’s status as the number one rice-exporting country.
Agriculture is the backbone of the Myanmar economy, contributing to 38 percent of gross domestic product, accounting for 25 to 30 percent of total export earnings, and employing almost 70 percent of the labor force, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Rice currently accounts for more than half of Myanmar’s sown acreage and is grown all over the country, in varying climatic conditions and topographies. The country produces approximately 14 million tons of rice every year.
The MRF aims to modernise rice mills, enhance storage capacities, and improve rice quality. Actions to improve agricultural productivity are also being taken by the Myanmar government’s Agricultural Mechanisation Department (AMD), which has introduced measures to accelerate the adoption of farm mechanisation.
One of the AMD’s key initiatives, the retail selling project, is making it more affordable for farmers to invest in new machinery. As part of this initiative, the AMD last year confirmed an order for 600 New Holland TT75 and TD90 tractors. These 75HP and 90HP are popular in Myanmar because they are well suited to everything from hot, dry and humid conditions to wet paddy fields.
The TT Series general-purpose tractors are a popular choice because they provide a superb combination of power and economy. The TT75’s engine has proven its reliability over many years and is easy and economical to maintain.
New Holland’s TD Series tractors are famous for combining high efficiency with ruggedness, robustness, and low cost of ownership. The TD90 provides low fuel consumption, long-life components, and long service intervals. It also has the advantages of best-in-class accessibility and easy serviceability.