Research is being carried out at the Ayeyarwaddy Delta Region to pair paddy and fish businesses for mutual benefits, said U Myint Zin Htoo, deputy director general of the Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI). We have conducted research to pair paddy and rice. The goal is to breed fish in the paddy fields. This system is also successful in the international community as well, he told The Myanmar Times on Monday. The waterlogged conditions in paddy fields make the areas ideal for breeding fish, which grow along with the paddy until harvest time. This is a good option for fish breeders who find it hard to obtain approvals to use land for fish ponds. Of the 120,000 acres of land suitable for aquaculture, only half has been approved, according to the Department of Fisheries under MOALI. This is because regional and state authorities prioritise the use of land for rice cultivation and the penalty for illegal use of land for fish ponds is currently K1 million per acre. As the delta region has many deep water areas, there are opportunities to pair paddy and fish businesses. Currently, research is being carried out on how best to do so with the support of Australia’s International Agricultural Research Department. The paddy-fish pairing system has potential to bring further developments to Myanmar. The agricultural sector is one third of GDP, accounts for two thirds of total jobs and one third of foreign income, said Dr Aung Thu, Minister of MOALI. To enable more than 70pc of Myanmar people to enjoy good income, we are focusing on paddy and fish as main growth products in the agricultural and livestock sector, he said. He added that the paddy-fish pairing system will generate new business opportunities which will not only increase incomes but also become a source of good nutrition and food supply for farmers and their families. The pairing system will yield many benefits and opportunities, he said. Still, some challenges need to be overcome in Myanmar for the paddy-fish system to be successful, said U Myint Zin Htoo. Paddy is the main crop for our country. So, people are worried if the pairing system will decrease paddy production. It is also difficult to decide which of the two to prioritise, he said. U Myint Zin Htoo suggested that the deep water areas where paddy production is low should be utilised to breed fish. If we encourage both the harvesting of paddy and breeding of fish, the farmers can get benefits from both. We want to do that but on a small scale to start with, he said. Research will be carried out to choose the fish compatible with the region’s weather. The research will be carried out until 2021 and will continue depending on the results. Last year, Myanmar enjoyed a record US$700 million from fish exports.