Betel nut growers in Arkan State report declining demand

By DMG 12 Dec 2022

DMG Newsroom
12 December 2022, Sittwe

Betel nut growers in Arakan State have reported a decline in demand for their products. Home-grown betel nuts are barely selling due to travel restrictions that are still in effect despite a recent ceasefire between Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakan Army.

Betel sellers from other parts of the country who are distributing with relatively fewer restrictions are also cutting into the bottom line, the Arakan State growers say.

Betel nut grower Daw Oo Myint Che from Lemyosar Village in Mrauk-U Township said revenues so far from her betel nut farm have not yet covered production costs.

“Betel nut dealers are having a hard time. We have to pay labour costs to harvest and transport betel nuts to our house. But betel nuts are not fetching good prices due to low demand, so we have to sell at lower prices. We have had to pay labour costs from our own pockets as betel nuts are not selling. It would be good if we could wait until the prices go up. But there are problems for those who can’t afford to do so,” she said.

The price of peeled and dried betel nut was K7,000 and higher per viss last year, when demand was considered high. The price is only around K5,000 per viss now and the demand is also low, said betel nut growers in Arakan State.

The betel nut harvest was good in Arakan State this year but demand is low, and growers have had to pay labour costs from their pockets, said betel nut grower Daw Khin Khin Than from Manaung Township.

“Betel nut cultivation is the main source of livelihood for our family. So, we face difficulties,” she said.

Betel nut is grown on a commercial scale in Mrauk-U, Minbya, Manaung and Thandwe townships. They are supplied to local markets in Sittwe, Kyauktaw, Rathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, and are also exported to Bangladesh.

“We have stalled the sale because we can’t transport to Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Sittwe,” said betel nut wholesaler U Maung Thein Hla from Mrauk-U Township. “And we can’t sell to Paletwa because home-grown betel nuts can’t compete with betel nuts supplied from Yangon. Buyers there only buy ours when betel nuts from Yangon are out of stock. Some wholesalers have stopped buying for a while.”

The regime has reopened some roads and waterways in Arakan State following its informal ceasefire with the Arakan Army (AA) on November 26, but restrictions on the movement of people and deliveries of goods remain, said residents.