Nay Pyi Taw (Myanmar), May 28 (ANI): India and Myanmar on Monday decided to establish the Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education as a Centre for Excellence using cutting edge technology along with traditional knowledge and ecological conservation with financial and technical assistance from India.

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Myanmar President U Thein Sein expressed their commitment to enhance cooperation in the area of agriculture.

According to a joint statement, President Thein Sein thanked India for the agricultural machinery that had been gifted to Myanmar under a grant of USD 10 million and conveyed that the machinery had been distributed to various locations of Myanmar and is being used for the benefit of Myanmar's farming community.

Under the MoU signed during the visit, the two leaders also agreed to set up a Rice Bio Park within the Department of Agricultural Research, Yezin in Nay Pyi Taw in order to demonstrate available techniques of sustainable rice biomass utilisation.

These two institutions together will provide technological and research inputs to the Myanmar farming, academic and business communities.

The President of Myanmar also thanked the Prime Minister for India's support to the construction of a modern cyclone-proof rice silo within the Model Integrated Farm at Nay Pyi Taw.

Myanmar also requested India's assistance in arranging training programmes/ fellowships in the areas of dairy development, cattle breeding, vaccine technology and assistance in setting up a milk and milk product factory in Shan State. The Indian side agreed to consider the proposal favourably. (ANI)