Agriculture in Burma (officially Myanmar) is the main industry in the country with 6,300,000 hectares as of 2003. The most important crop is rice, and Burma was once Asia's largest exporter of rice, but as of 2003 had fallen to just 7th. Other main crops are pulses, cereals, sesame, groundnuts, sugarcane, hardwood, fish, beans, butter beans, kidney beans, black eye beans, bamboo beans, red beans, mung beans, kenaf and peas. Cotton is also an important industry.
Under British administration, Burma was the world largest exporter of rice. Burmese crops helped to alleviate severe famines in India. Farmers use a slash and burn method to take down trees and make room for their crops. But they grow rice in open well irrigated fields. Agriculture in Burma provides 43% of Burma's GDP and requires 70% of Burma's workforce. This means that agriculture is the most important work in Burma. (Full article...)