Irrawaddy Region Approves New Agriculture Minister
By Salai Thant Zin 24 January 2018
PATHEIN — The Irrawaddy Region Parliament has approved the appointment of U Tin Win Aung, a retired department director with the national Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, as the regional minister for agriculture, livestock, natural resources and environmental conservation.
U Tin Win Aung was nominated by the Irrawaddy Region’s new chief minister, U Hla Moe Aung, during the second day of the regional Parliament’s emergency session on Tuesday. His appointment to the busiest ministry in the region was confirmed on Wednesday, after no lawmakers raised objections.
The 63-year-old will succeed U Ba Hein, who resigned in early January citing health problems.
“I will try as much as I can to fulfill the requirements of farmers. I will try to bring about notable success over the next three years,” U Tin Win Aung told The Irrawaddy.
“In order to reduce poverty, we need to work for the economic development of our region. There are many ways to develop an economy, but for our region we will focus on the agriculture industry as we already have good foundations for this,” U Hla Moe Aung told Parliament on Tuesday during his swearing-in.
U Tin Win Aung graduated with a degree in agriculture from Yezin Agriculture University and, beginning in 1980, spent 35 years worked at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation.
He served as manager of the Pathein District Agriculture Department and deputy manager of the Irrawaddy Region Agriculture Department from 2004 to 2006. From 2007 to 2012 he served as Agriculture Department manager in Mon State and Yangon Region.
He served as director of crop protection at the Naypyitaw Agriculture Department in 2012 and retired in 2015 at the age of 60.
U Tin Win Aung said he would give priority to providing farmers with adequate equipment during harvest.
“Crop prices usually decline after harvest, and growers do not know where to sell their crops. I will try to solve this problem by facilitating coordination among concerned departments,” he said.
“There is waste during harvest because of climate change,” he added. “To prevent this, we will enable growers to use harvesters on a wider scale. We’ll also invite private companies for this. And we will try to supply good paddy strains.”
U Win Tin Aung is set to take the oath of office on the fourth day of the Irrawaddy Region Parliament’s emergency meeting, after President U Htin Kyaw confirms his appointment.
Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
