Arakan farmers need water for summer paddy

By DMG 18 Jan 2022

DMG Newsroom
18 December 2022, Sittwe

Local farmers in Arakan State need government assistance as there is a shortage of water to grow summer paddy, according to the Arakan Farmers’ Union. 

U Myo Min Aung, a member of the Central Committee of the Arakan Farmers’ Union, said summer paddy could not be widely cultivated in Arakan State due to a lack of irrigation dams and the high cost of cultivation. 

“I think the main problem is availability of water,” he told DMG. “There is a dam in Kyauktaw Township, but it is used for drinking water, so there is little water for irrigation. The government must play a key role in providing farmers with water. It is not economical for farmers to cultivate paddy using water from the rivers and creeks. As a result of these costs, farmers are less and less interested in growing paddy as the years go by.” 

Although summer paddy can be grown using water from local rivers, farmers say the number of summer paddy growers is also declining due to high labour costs and rising fuel prices. 

There are about 100,000 acres of summer paddy fields in Kyauktaw Township, but the government has not been able to facilitate large-scale agricultural use due to lack of water supply and other agricultural use plans, said U Aung Kyaw Mra, a local farmer. 

He added that farmers in Arakan State were facing difficulties as the prices of compost soil and fertiliser have almost quadrupled under the junta. 

“In order for the agricultural sector to develop, these lands need to be cultivated every year. The government needs to take the lead and help farmers. The government also needs to provide technical assistance to those who rely heavily on agriculture,” U Aung Kyaw Mra said. 

U Maung Htwe, a summer paddy grower, said that once the conditions for summer cultivation improve, farmers will earn extra income and local people will have more job opportunities. 

“I have grown about 80 acres of summer paddy this year,” he added. “There is almost no summer paddy cultivation in Arakan State. There are very few river water-pumping projects in Arakan State. There are dams in Arakan State, but the government does not know how to use irrigation water.” 

A dearth of available water for paddy cultivation affects Arakan State townships including Kyauktaw, Thandwe, Minbya, Mrauk-U, and Rathedaung, according to local farmers.