YANGON, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is providing Community-Based Agricultural Production Training (CAPT) to support farmers across Myanmar, the organization said on Saturday.
The CAPT program, which began in 2018, is being implemented in Kachin, Shan, and Kayin states, as well as the Mandalay region, according to the ICRC.
Covering key topics such as crop production, soil fertility management, post-harvest management, climate-smart agriculture, and plant protection, the training combines both practical and technical sessions to increase crop production by applying improved farming practices and to strengthen the impact of the ICRC's agricultural input assistance.
It also promotes long-term benefits through replication sessions, where trained farmers share their knowledge with others in their communities, the organization added.
The training is delivered in collaboration with the relevant departments of agriculture in each state and region. Each training lasts five days, while the overall program runs six months to one year, including monitoring and follow-up.
Over seven years, 22 training sessions have been conducted, benefiting 582 participants from various townships. Participants mainly include smallholder farmers, women, youth, and displaced community members, according to the ICRC.
"Pesticides and herbicides are expensive, so farming is no longer profitable for many farmers. One of the main problems is the lack of sufficient agricultural knowledge," Nan Shwe Myaing, a program participant from Kayin state, said.
"Through the training, we learned how to use pesticides properly and understood that unnecessary use can kill beneficial insects. We also learned how to make natural pesticides, organic fertilizers, and practice crop rotation," she added. ■
