Interview
Border News Agency
Mrauk-U, August 18.

Due to flooding in the Arakan region, about 20,000 acres of cultivated paddy fields have been destroyed, and many farmers will not be able to replant the rice, according to farmers and those assisting them.

In connection with this matter, Border News Agency contacted U Maung Thein Hla, General Secretary of the Dhanyawadi Farmers’ Development Association.

“The list of damaged paddy fields is still being compiled for now. It may not be a huge number, but losses are likely. In some low-lying areas, the water still hasn’t receded yet,” he said.

“In this area, if the fields are submerged, some will be partially damaged. In certain places, the growth of the plants may stop, and in some cases, the entire field could be destroyed. Especially in the fields of Paung Toke in Mrauk-U Township, the damage is serious. When we passed through Mrauk-U, we saw that the whole Paung Toke field was completely flooded. The farmers there said they had lost the entire field. These kinds of losses are happening,” he said.

“If you turn towards Kyauktaw, the fields near Nyaung Chaung police station and the paddy fields in Sapar Seik could be completely destroyed,” he said.

“This list has not yet been released for now. The scale of the damage ranges from minor to severe, but the losses could be extensive,” he added.