Despite a light rainfall, many farmers excitedly gathered around dozens of agricultural machines at Takonabili Village in Naypyidaw, capital of Burma. Some people caressed rice harvesters, while some gently turned the steering wheels of rice transplanters. "I attend the training class held by Chinese agricultural technicians every day. Today, China sent us these agricultural machines as a present, and all the people in the village came to have a look," a villager named Angwu told People's Daily.

Zhang Lin, Deputy Secretary General of the Buddhist Association of China, told People's Daily, the batch of machines include 45 tractors, five trucks, two large tractors, several combine-harvesters and rice transplanters, which were donated by the Chinese Buddhist delegation during its stay in Burma to improve local production conditions.

Burma is one of the major rice producing countries in Asia. Lagging behind in agricultural mechanization, most farmers still till the land with oxen and horses. "There are roughly 20 million acres (one acre is equivalent to 4,040 square meters) of arable land in Burma, but only 10 percent of this is ploughed by tractors. Both utilization ratio and per unit output are very low, and improvements need to be made in agricultural production," said Wu Shouang, an official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Burma.

Wu Tawen, another villager who has spent all his life farming, told the reporter while pointing at his two buffalos, "Thanks to them, I can harvest more than 400 bamboo baskets (one basket is equivalent to 21 kg) of rice every year. Nothing is left at the end of year, for all the rice is used to feed the family."

At the donation ceremony, after solemn Buddhist rites, Wu Minlai, Minster of Agricultural and Irrigation, together with the Chinese Buddhist delegation, inspected the agricultural equipment. Farmers excitedly expressed their gratitude, and were eager to operate the machines.

"China is an agricultural power, while 70 percent of Burma's population are engaged in agricultural production. We hope China and Burma will cooperate in agricultural techniques, machinery and personnel training to push forward agricultural development," said Wu.

With 40 percent of gross domestic product coming from agricultural production, the development of its rural areas and agriculture is of significant for Burma. "We are willing to provide a series of agricultural mechanization solutions for Burma in terms of sprout cultivation, field management, rice harvesting and post processing. We hope to help farmers here enhance agricultural productivity," said Wang Jinfu, a representative of Chinese agricultural machinery firms.

When leaving the village, crowds of farmers were still delightedly playing with the agricultural machines. Along the rice field, the slogans of "promoting the agricultural economy" and "profound friendship between China and Burma" were flying under clear skies.