Abstract

• Paddy is the staple food of the people in Myanmar. Paddy is cultivated throughout the study area which is situated in the Sittaung Valley at Taungoo District of Bago Region. The objectives are to examine factors affecting on temporal changes of paddy cultivation and production, to analyze paddy cultivation of Taungoo Township and to investigate the favourable conditions for the spatial distribution of paddy cultivated areas and its economic return. Temporal changes of monsoon paddy and summer paddy cultivation and production were found and summer paddy was mostly cultivated as double cropping with irrigation system in this study area. In this paper, to present the paddy cultivation and production and its economic return condition of the study area, interviews, informal talks and focus group discussion were done with the responsible persons of the department concerned and local farmers as well as head of the village tracts. Secondary data were obtained from Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics, Taungoo Township. Cost benefit analysis was also applied to present the effects of economic return on paddy cultivation in Taungoo Township. SWOT analysis used to analysis the advantages and disadvantages of paddy cultivation in this paper.