Border News Agency
Minbra, August 14.

In the Arakan region, heavy rainfall over the past two months has caused flooding, resulting in the destruction and loss of approximately 19,000 acres of cultivated farmland, according to a statement issued on August 13 by the Humanitarian and Development Cooperation Office (HDCO) of the ULA/AA.

In townships such as Taunggoke, Kyauktaw, Ponnakyun, Mrauk-U, Minbra, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Rathedaung, continuous rainfall from June to July caused flooding.

As a result, farmers said that because the heavy rain persisted from the rice planting period through to the growing stage, the paddy plants became weak due to prolonged submersion in water, making it necessary to apply fertilizer in a timely manner.

“This year, farming has been full of difficulties. Rice prices are low, and we have no capital to plant the next crop. It’s hard to buy fertilizer, and even getting fuel for plowing is difficult. For us farmers, there are so many challenges. We have to pay male laborers 20,000 kyats per day and female laborers 15,000 kyats. Fuel prices range from about 280,000 to 300,000 kyats. For the white fertilizer we normally use here, the seasonal price is around 320,000 kyats. These years, it has been extremely difficult,” a farmer from Minbya Township told the Border News Agency.

Although the Arakan region has more than 120,000 acres of paddy fields, farmers estimate that less than half of them are currently being cultivated.

They say the decline in cultivated acreage is due to high input costs, rising wages for laborers, poor sales of paddy and rice, and instability in the region.

“In terms of acreage, it has dropped significantly. Every year, I usually plant over 700 acres of paddy, but this year I only planted around 300 acres — a reduction of about 400 acres. The reasons are that rice prices are low, labor costs are high, and the prices of fertilizer and fuel have also risen sharply. The yield is poor. Since we’re near the sea, paddy yields are even lower. With these labor costs, rice prices, and yields, the income doesn’t match the expenses. That’s why farmers are no longer planting rice it’s a loss. As a result, the number of rice growers has dropped considerably,” a farmer from the Arakan region told the Border News Agency.

In townships such as Taunggoke, Kyauktaw, Ponnakyun, Mrauk-U, Minbra, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Rathedaung, continuous rainfall from June to July caused flooding, which destroyed farmers’ monsoon paddy.

Farmers said the Arakan People’s Government is providing paddy seeds to those whose crops were damaged by the floods.

“The Arakan People’s Government has been providing some assistance. They give us paddy seeds for one farmer, they provide two sacks of four baskets each, totaling eight baskets. Other support hasn’t been provided yet. We farmers would welcome receiving the seeds clean and unmixed. We want them to distribute it that way. We always face many difficulties,” a farmer said.

At the final phase of the Arakan war, the Arakan Army has fully secured fifteen townships, and is establishing administrative structures as the Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government.

Farmers say the Arakan People’s Government provides them with paddy seeds, purchases seeds from them, and sells fertilizer at reasonable prices.

However, because there is no proper market for rice, farmers say they hope the Arakan People’s Government will help establish marketplaces for them.

“The Arakan People’s Government does provide fertilizers at low prices, but not as much as expected. The prices aren’t that cheap either, and what they provide is still insufficient. The prices are not convenient enough for farmers. The government should make fertilizers easily and affordably available so farmers can use them without difficulty. Regarding agriculture, the government also needs to establish markets for farmers, making it easier for them to sell their crops,” a farmer in the Arakan region told the Border News Agency.

People affected by flooding in the Arakan region say they urgently need international humanitarian assistance.

Farmers report that in townships such as Maungdaw, Ponnakyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbra, Taunggoke, Thandwe, and Gwa, floods over the past few months have destroyed around tens of thousands of acres of farmland.