During the term of the new government of Myanmar, agriculture and livestock breeding sector should be encouraged, urged Chairman of the Myanmar State Administration Council (SAC) Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in his address at an honouring meeting of the SAC.

The meeting was held at the Zeyathiri Beikman in Nay Pyi Taw on the morning of 30 July.

Myanmar’s population is over 54 million, with more than 51.3 million people residing within the country according to the 2024 census and  3.4 million people working abroad as reported by the Ministry of Labour of Myanmar. 70 percent of the population live in rural areas.

Rural communities are the primary drivers of agricultural and livestock activities and if their socio-economic situations can be improved, Myanmar’s economy will grow, and poverty can be reduced, the Senior General stated.

The World Bank calculated that Myanmar’s poverty rate was 21.6 percent in 2014, which reached 49 percent in 2024.

The Myanmar Prime Minister added that the successive governments have made efforts to alleviate poverty and during his tenure, the Myanmar government has prioritized the development of rural economies as a practical means of poverty reduction.

“Our country has abundant natural resources and if we can work to harness them productively, we can advance national economy. Therefore, the Myanmar government should focus on job creation, “the SAC Chairman said.