YANGON, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar inaugurated a new agriculture and livestock breeding university in the town of Maubin in Ayeyarwady region, also known as the delta region, the state-owned daily The Mirror reported on Monday.
The University of Agriculture and Livestock Breeding (Maubin), operated under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, was inaugurated on Sunday by Min Aung Hlaing, acting president of Myanmar, the report said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Min Aung Hlaing said that the university, which will begin operating in the 2025-26 academic year, is expected to significantly contribute to the development of human resources needed in Myanmar's agriculture and livestock sectors and support efforts to strengthen the nation's economy, according to the report.
In Myanmar, the agricultural sector contributes up to 23.7 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), and approximately 46 percent of the population lives in rural areas, earning their livelihoods through agriculture, livestock, and related activities, figures from the report showed.
Before the University of Agriculture and Livestock Breeding (Maubin) was inaugurated, Yezin Agricultural University served as Myanmar's only agricultural university. Likewise, the University of Veterinary Science was the nation's sole institution of its kind, according to the report. ■
