ABSTRACT
The agricultural economy of Burma supports over three-quarters of its population, furnishes most of its food, and provides the government with the majority of its revenue through the export and sale of rice. Rice production is largely based on small, peasant holdings, found most extensively in the valleys and deltas of Burma's major river systems, particularly the Irrawaddy. This chapter examines the Burmese peasant as both producer and consumer, the community in which he lives, its history, and some of the economic and social factors which influence his economic behavior. The soil of Mayin is of average fertility, rainfall is adequate, but the arrival and departure dates of the southwest monsoon can be a critical factor in rice agriculture here as elsewhere. The chapter also points the critical factors involved in growth in agricultural production in such a community.
