MoI Union Minister inspects cotton ginning factory in Yamethin, calls for value-added processing

UNION Minister for Industry Dr Charlie Than, accompa­nied by departmental officials, arrived at the Cotton Ginning Factory (Yamethin) in Yame­thin, Mandalay Region, yester­day morning, where the factory manager provided a briefing on factory-related information and operational conditions.

In response to the briefing, the Union Minister stated that cotton farmers should work together to increase their in­comes by processing their cotton on a small scale rather than selling it directly as raw material. He noted that when individual farmers’ small-scale efforts develop into micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), local communities will benefit from increased em­ployment opportunities. He add­ed that if businesses involved in producing cotton yarn, fabric and garments from cotton are successfully implemented, the domestic garment sector will develop further.

The Union Minister also emphasized the need to ensure that all cotton ginning machines at the factory operate at full capacity by securing the neces­sary spare parts in advance. He further explained that in areas without access to electricity, cotton ginning and oil mills can be operated using solar photo­voltaic (PV) systems, and that efforts must be made to raise public awareness of installation techniques.

According to reports, the Union Minister inspected the operation of a two-roller cotton ginning machine powered by solar energy, as well as the re­pair work being carried out on another two-roller cotton gin­ning machine. — MNA/MKKS