February 16,2022
A three-year konjac agriculture development project is being developed in Chin State, said U Aung Myo Oo, the director of Chin State Agriculture Department.
“There are about 130 konjac species in Myanmar. Out of them, only five konjac species are cultivated in Chin State. The state mostly grows white, red and yellow konjac species. Our agriculture department is implementing a three-year konjac cultivation development project (2020-21 to 2022-23) intending to improve the lifestyle and to reduce the poverty in Chin State,” he added.
Last 2020-21 financial year, Chin state cultivated a total of 16,921 acres of konjac, including 3,784 acres in Haka district, 2,244 acres in Falam district, 5,593 acres in Matupi district and 5,300 acres in Mindat district.
In order to develop konjac agriculture and product in Chin State, the project has been implemented since the 2020- 21FY’s planting season. In this 2021-22FY, about 12,158 acres of konjac have been cultivated — 3,864 acres in Haka, 2,378 acres in Falam and 5,916 acres in Matupi districts.
Although konjac is a natural plant in Chin State, the threeyear plan is set up from the 2020- 21FY to 2022-23FY to increase the annual income for local farmers and to bring permanent farming from shifting cultivation because of the scarcity of konjac species by increasing the number of excavations. — Lu Lay/GNLM
