Israel expert gives guidance to farmers
July 26 - August 1, 2010
LEARN to grow vegetables in salty water – and your economy and exports will grow, an Israeli expert told Myanmar farmers earlier this month.
A farmer in Israel can produce enough food for 100 people – up from 15 people back in 1955, Mr Zion Shemer told a seminar organised by the Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF).
“In developing countries, farmers can produce enough food only for two to 20 people. Developed countries can produce for 90 to 120 people,” he said, adding that Israel earned US$5.5 billion in 2007 from the agricultural sector.
Mr Shemer, director of Israel’s Ramat Negev Desert Agroresearch Centre, explained his country’s experience of cultivating arid land, where water is often scarce or brackish.
More than 100 people, including researchers and technicians from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and some local journalists, attended the seminar.
The federation has been organising seminars on a fortnightly basis, inviting scholars and experts from Myanmar and abroad to speak on topics that are not limited to the fisheries industry.
“Although we are a business organisation, we want to contribute to the capacity building of the nation in all sectors. As the ambassador of Israel offered the services [of Mr Shemer], we organised this seminar,” MFF secretary general U Win Kyaing said.
“I think the seminar was useful and I was happy to take a lot of questions,” Mr Shemer said. “We can grow in arid land. Myanmar is rich in natural resources. You have a huge market around you. If we can grow, you can grow,” he said.
Mr Shemer said Israel has a workforce of 2.7 million, about 8.9 percent of which is employed in the agricultural sector.
Israel offers annual agriculture training positions to Myanmar trainees, Israeli ambassador to Myanmar Mr Yaron Mayer said. More than 1000 trainees have so far completed the courses and another 170 trainees will be accepted this year, Mr Mayer said.
