Myanmar Field Survey (3-2)

Rice Growing Village in Lower Myanmar

Takashi Kurosaki

Last revision: Aug. 29, 2001

Lower Myanmar is a vast plain of Irrawaddy Delta. Most farmers grow monsoon paddy as well as summer paddy. Paddy cultivation begins with land preparation. In this photo taken in June 2001 in Myaungmya Township, two bullocks are used in paddy land preparation. Some farmers also use buffaloes in land preparation.

And here is a transplanting photo (July 2001, Myaungmya). Since this is a deep-water area, paddy plants are abnormally large. Lady transplanters use special sticks to transplant these large plants into deep mud. Male workers are responsible in picking up paddy plants from nursery fields and making them into bundles (Photo below).

Harvested paddy is dried and procured to the government or sold to the market. This photo was taken in January 2001 in Tongwa Township. The backside black building is a government storage place used in public procurement.

This is a bamboo equipment to clean paddy by air (Jan 2001, Tongwa).

Farmers keep paddy with husk for their own consumption. Then, they bring paddy to rice mills for rice-husking and cleaning when they need to eat it. Rice mills are also a popular place for farmers to sell their marketable surplus. This photo shows a very small rice mill on a river in Myaungmya Township (June 2001). Only small boats can transport paddy and cleaned rice in many parts of Irrawaddy Delta

Not only farmers but also landless farm laborers live in villages. They need to purchase cleaned rice from rice mills or from village shops for their survival. The photo shows a village shop in our survey village in Myaungmya. The basket is a unit of measurement, although not standardized. The only unit that is standardized throughout Myanmar is a small tin in the basket (the one on the right hand side). It is a tin container for condense milk. To standardize measurement units is a priority problem for the Myanmar government.

Fishing is important both for farmer and laborer households. As this photo shows, people can fetch fish from river using fishing nets or they can catch eel from canals using special baskets. Fishes are not only an important source of protein in people's diet but also an important cash source for many villagers.

We implemented an intensive household survey in this Myaungmya village. Sometimes, a religious meeting place like this was used in interviews.

After a long interviews, we took a group photo with the village head and other supporters. Thank you very much, everyone.

Cats in Rural Myanmar　 Working Farmers and Livestock in Myanmar　 Rice Growing Village in Lower Myanmar　 Floating Vegetable Plots on Inle Lake, Shan　 Highland Vegetable Village in Shan

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