Interview
Border News Agency
Mrauk-U, August 22

In the Arakan region, around 20,000 acres of cultivated paddy fields have been destroyed due to natural disasters.

In addition, farmers are also facing various difficulties, challenges, and needs.

Therefore, Border News Agency interviewed a farmer from Mrauk-U Township regarding the situation.

“When cultivating paddy, the main difficulty is flooding. The water level rises, and when there is heavy rainfall, the crops get damaged. The seeds we sow often don’t grow successfully. Those are the kinds of challenges we face.”

“We have to replant again, and the costs can no longer be covered with just a small amount. Prices keep going up, and fertilizers have also become more expensive. As a result, for farmers, cultivating paddy has brought more losses than profits.”

“In the past years, we also faced losses, and this year too, it seems likely that losses will continue. It all depends on the price of rice. If the market price goes higher than the production cost, then there could be some profit. But as far as I can estimate, I don’t think there will be much profit.”

“With fertilizer prices rising, cultivation costs increasing, plowing expenses going up, and machinery prices getting higher, everything has become more expensive. So, I expect that losses are almost certain.”

“There are hardly any other resources left. Farmers no longer have buffaloes or cattle. The little livestock they raise is mostly for meat consumption.”

“In the past, we used buffaloes and cattle for traditional plowing, but now they are no longer available. These days, we have to rely only on machines.”

“When there is a need, we have to buy farming machinery. As for fertilizers, a sack of the Super brand costs around 230,000 kyats.”

“We also use rice bran as fertilizer, but not in sufficient amounts. The machines cannot produce enough rice husks for all the farmers.”

“As for support, there hasn’t been any. I can’t say about the future, but for now, we haven’t seen much help. Mainly, if fuel and fertilizers were cheaper, farming would be much easier.”