LABOUR MARKET IN MAE SOT 1990–2017 AND THAILAND’S NEW SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE POLICY

Abstract: This paper concentrates on the migrant labour market in Mae Sot (Thailand). This study is designed to analyze the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) from various sectors and segments of the migrant labour market. The period of the analysis is 1990–2017 because this is a period of rapid development along the Thailand-Myanmar border and the establishment of the Special Economic Zone in Mae Sot. Political, economic, and social aspects are major external pushing factors from Myanmar. The internal factors indicate that in Thailand’s economic growth, migrant labour plays an important role as pulling factors. Thailand has launched a long-term policy, aiming to recruit formal migrants and legalize migrant labour to hold a temporary work permit. Factories have already implemented low-cost operations by procuring migrant labourers who come from Myanmar to work temporarily in Thailand. The higher-wage jobs of the Special Economic Zone in Mae Sot are attractive, and migrant labourers come to Mae Sot to work. The large supply of labour from Myanmar is one of the key factors that contribute to the benefit of Thailand in terms of “cheap work-force”. Presently, Myanmar’s economy is restructuring, and the labour demand is shifting. The migrant labourers are becoming fewer. The future trend of migrant labour in Mae Sot continues causing increasing concern.Keywords: push and pull factor, migrant labour market, Mae Sot, special economic zon

Development of Leucaena Mimosine-Degrading Bacteria in the Rumen of Sheep in Myanmar

Myanmar has an agricultural base, and about 70% of people reside in rural areas. They depend for survival on agriculture and small-scale crop production, with ruminant livestock consuming fibrous agricultural residues. For optimal ruminant production, concentrates are needed as supplements to these residues. As concentrates are expensive, researchers are testing alternative protein sources like legumes, including foliage from leguminous trees such as leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala). Leucaena is the most widely used leguminous tree as a ruminant feed because it is rich in protein (~ 22%) and contains easily digestible fibre (23% neutral detergent fibre, 16.6% acid detergent fibre; Ni Ni Maw 2004). Khin Htay Myint (2005) noted that 25% of leucaena in the ration tended to increase nitrogen retention without decreasing dry matter and organic matter digestibilities. However, leucaena leaves contain a toxic non-protein amino acid, called mimosine. Research workers have endeavoured to reduce mimosine toxicity in animals fed leucaena in Myanmar (Aung Aung 2007, Wink Phyo Thu 2010) and one avenue of research was the development of mimosine-degrading bacteria in the rumen of sheep fed leucaena. In this paper we describe an experiment tracing the development of mimosine-degrading bacteria in the rumen of sheep

Evaluation of Tropical Herbaceous Legumes for Drought Resistance in Myanmar

Animal nutrition systems in the tropical and subtropical countries utilize a wide range of feedstuffs, mainly the crops and agricultural by-products, grasses, legumes, trees and shrubs. During the dry season, the crude protein concentration in the native grasses can drop below 3% crude protein (Atta-Krah and Reynolds, 1989). Fodder tree is not sufficient and is of low quality in Myanmar (Myo and Aye, 2007). Shrubs represent an enormous potential source of protein for ruminants in the tropics (Devendra, 1992). Browses are rich in nitrogen and minerals which are low in other conventional feeds of tropical regions. Herbaceous legume species play an important role in feeding ruminants worldwide. Herbaceous forage legume have been identified as potential protein supplements for ruminants since they contain high crude protein, minerals and vitamins needed for the growth of ruminal microbes (Norton and Poppi,1995). Herbaceous legumes can be grown as a relay within cereal crops or as a rotation with cereals. Herbaceous legumes can access ‎atmospheric ‎N‎ (‘fixation’)‎ through‎ bacterial‎ activity‎ in‎ root ‎nodules.‎ The‎ ‘fixed’ ‎N‎ becomes‎ available ‎to‎ the‎ legume and subsequent cereal crops. Herbaceous legumes are best planted from seed (Nulik et al., 2013). The aim of using herbaceous legumes in cropping systems is to increase animal productivity, particularly live weight gain in animals being prepared for market. Herbaceous legumes may be fed directly to animals as fresh material in the late wet and early dry seasons, with browse or tree legumes retained for later dry season feeding, or stored as hay and fed in the late dry or early wet seasons when the availability and quality of local feed is lower (Nulik et al., 2013). Legume based pastures give high individual animal performance for growth, fattening, reproduction and wool growth. Cattle live weight gain has been related positively to the proportion of legume in the sward (Mureithi et al., 1995). As pastures become mature, they are characterized by high content of fibre with a higher grade of lignifications and low protein content (Enoh et al., 2005). In Myanmar there is only 0.35% cultivated pasture area to that of cultivated acreages. The improvement and development of pasture is a necessity for Myanmar (Myo and Aye, 2007). For that reason it is needed to evaluate the yield herbaceous legumes for the potential use for ruminants in Myanmar

Selection of Suitable Varieties of Grasses for Myanmar

The basal feed resources for ruminants available in most developing countries in the tropics are crop residues, pasture from infertile land, for example communal land, or agro-industrial by-products. These are low in protein and of low digestibility. A major problem facing livestock producers in tropical areas is proper nutrition for their animals during the dry season when pastures, cereal residues and maize stover are limiting in nutritional quality. The researchers in Myanmar have tried to improve the nutritive value of fibrous agricultural residues. Aung Aung et al. (2006) supplemented the sesame and chickpea husk to bulls fed on urea-treated rice straw. One way of improving the utilisation of such crop residues is by proper supplementation with leguminous forages (Poppi and McLennan 1995). In most regions of Myanmar, the green forage is available during the rainfall and become shortage during dry season. Therefore, feedstuff for ruminant animals mainly has to depend upon the availability of agricultural by-products. Almost more than half of the livestock population of Myanmar is inhabited in dry zone and thus, to overcome the scarcity of the feedstuff during summer, the irrigation system was introduced in these areas for the development of agriculture. A simple and effective way to increase livestock production is to grow improved pastures. Throughout Myanmar, extensive areas of idle land could grow excellent pasture. At present, most of the “pastures” consist of low rank, poor quality grasses and a limited range of edible shrubs. During prolonged dry periods, grazing animals subsist on dry mature roughage of poor quality (Myo Kywe and Tin Mg Aye, 2007). Grass species, which can rapidly grow after the rain also having drought tolerance, would be very useful in the production system. There is still little information on the use of forage in Myanmar. It is needed to select the grass species which have drought resistance in Myanmar and thus this experiment was conducted to evaluate a range of introduced tropical grasses in the central dry zone of Myanmar

Effects of Different Mulching Materials on Plant Growth, Fruit Yield and Quality of Two Cultivars of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus Thunb.)

The study was conducted to investigate plant growth, fruit yield and quality attributes of two cultivars of watermelon as affected by mulching materials during the winter seasons of 2014 and 2015 in the field of Department of Horticulture and Agricultural Biotechnology, Yezin Agricultural University. The treatments were laid out in two-factor factorial arrangement in randomized complete block design with four replications. The first factor was mulching materials: rice straw, black polyethylene, silver polyethylene and clear polyethylene and without mulch was control. The second factor was cultivars: namely 855 and Padamya.The data on main vine length (cm), number of nodes on main vine and number of branches per plant were weekly recorded. Soil moisture content (%) and weed infestation (g) were also measured. At harvest time, single fruit weight (kg), total fruit yield (ton ha-1), skin and pulp firmness (kg cm-2), Brix %, juice content (%) and total titratable acidity (TTA %) and color values of L*, a*, b* were also analyzed. All mulching materials showed significantly higher single fruit weight and total fruit yield than control. The plants without mulch (control) showed the lowest values in single fruit weight and total fruit yield. All mulching materials not only maintained the maximum soil moisture but also suppressed weed infestation. There was an interaction between mulching materials and cultivars on single fruit weight, total fruit yield and also the fruit quality attributes of juice content and color values of L*, a* and b*.According to the results, mulching practice is efficient for watermelon production and silver polyethylene mulch is the best among them. There were no significant differences in the main growth parameters of single fruit weight and total fruit yield between two cultivars. Moreover, the quality attributes of Brix %, juice content and TTA % of cultivar 855 did not differ from cultivar Padamya. Therefore, cultivar Padamya may be a potential cultivar for local consumption and for export in future along with the cultivar 855