regional wood energy development programme in asia ... - CES (IISc)

2.5 Occupation and Land Use
The majority of the people in the dry zone, as elsewhere in Myanmar, are engaged in
agricultural activities. Unlike in other parts of the country, cultivation of paddy is impossible without
irrigation. Dry cultivation is common in the Meiktila area because the soil is very sandy and there
is little rainfall. Cotton, sesame and ground-nut are the main crops but a variety of beans, tomatoes,
onions and chilies are grown also. Due to water shortages in the hills, little cultivation takes place.
The villages of Thahtaygon, Kywetatson and Monpinson grow a considerable amount of
maize, sesame, sunflower and beans. Yinmabin also grows some maize but also has citrus and
promising banana plantations. In Yebokson some paddy is planted but the main crops are maize
and bananas. Banana plantations are common in the villages of Yinmabin, Yebokson and
Pyinyaung because many banana growers settled here in 1965 after having been evicted from the
Popa Mountain range. In Pyinyaung, along the Myittha chaung basin, citrus plantations have been
promoted by the government in order to ensure sufficient supplies for the tinned fruit factory at
Hlaingdet village.
In most cases the cash income from crop growing in the study area is minimal and most
people have to rely upon other sources of income. These may consist of jobs in road construction,
railway maintenance, in the mines or stone quarries, etc. However, the majority relies on income
from forest products such as extracting and/or selling timber, woodfuels including charcoal,
bamboos and other minor forest products.
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