YANGON (Xinhua): Myanmar will hold its second horticulture show in the biggest city of Yangon early next month to encourage fruit and vegetable growing, the official newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Thursday.

The four-day horticulture show at the Myaypadetha Island near the Kandawgyi Lake, sponsored by the Myanmar Fruit and Vegetable Producers Association, will last from May 4 to 7.

The show will display a variety of fruits and vegetables produced from different regions in the country, including flower and orchids, farm implements, strain, fertilizer, pesticide and saplings, the report said, adding that the show will also include educative booths on germs and diseases.

Paper reading sessions involving resource persons on experience of foreign markets, prospects of exports and value-added products will be attached as well, the report said.

These persons include experts from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in addition to those from the ministries of agriculture and irrigation, commerce, and science and technology.

Myanmar held its first horticulture show at the same venue in May last year.

The country has stressed the extended production of high-yield fruits and vegetables to boost export by taking the advantage of the climatic conditions and geographic superiority of the country.

There are 100 kinds of kitchen crops including over 70 kinds of fruits produced by Myanmar along with vegetables.

Sown areas of fruit trees have reached 729,000 hectares in the country, while that of vegetables 405,000 hectares and that of kitchen crops such as chilli, onion and potatoes 263,250 hectares, according to official figures.

Myanmar exported thousands of tons of mangoes, cucumbers, tamarind, watermelons and plum annually. Watermelon and musk melon were previously harvested for three months in a year but now it has been so for all year round, according to growers.

Myanmar is rich in tropical fruit resources such as mango, banana, pine-apple, strawberry, durian, mangosteen, papaya, tamarind, and coconut. Meanwhile, Myanmar is deliberating to set up an international- level fruit and vegetable sales center, aimed at promoting export and consumption of fresh and quality fruit and vegetable in the country, said the Fruit Growers, Producers and Exporters Association.

There are so far three major fruit and vegetable markets in Yangon for local consumers.