"The Shan state government will focus on agriculture to drive its economy and bring prosperity to Myanmar, as well as the region. Shan Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin said agriculture was one of the main resources in the state as the vast land and climate conditions were suitable for crops. “Agricultural produce from Shan is much sought after in domestic and overseas markets. There is a lot of potential for investors to explore the agricultural sector.” The state government recently held an investment forum on the agricultural sector for potential local and foreign investors, indicating its commitment to the economic focus on agriculture. Many people in Shan rely on agriculture for their livelihood. Among the major crops in the state are rice, maize, soyabean, potato, sugarcane, tea, coffee and mangoes. Chief Minister U Lin Htut said the state had sizeable land suited for agricultural cultivation, which also bordered China, Thailand and Laos. “The state is also home to the Muse and Tachileik border trade areas and has moderate levels of water, power and road infrastructure that can be improved. All of these point to a positive landscape for investments in Shan’s agriculture sector.” According to the state Department of Agriculture, there are 2.3 million ha of land suitable for cultivation in the state and only about 800,000ha are in use..."