Arakan State crab exporters struggle to overcome overland border trade closure

By DMG 21 Aug 2021

DMG Newsroom
21 August 2021, Sittwe

Some of Arakan State’s main crab exporters have suspended their businesses due to the Covid-19 pandemic’s ongoing third wave, while others are significantly scaling back operations to survive, according to crab traders.

Crab traders are transporting their crabs from Sittwe to Yangon to export them to China by flight, but the number of exporters is decreasing because of higher transportation costs and difficulty with flight scheduling, said Ko Soe Win, owner of the KM crab wholesale business near Amyint Kyun bridge in Sittwe Township.

“All crab wholesale businesses send their crabs to China by flight, but those who cannot export in time, they are selling their seafood in Yangon. Not all wholesale centres in Yangon buy the crabs because of the Covid-19 outbreak and political instability,” Ko Soe Win said.

“Almost all traders have suspended their business because they cannot operate their business well. They do not see any option, any way to operate their business,” he said.

In the past, the crab export business has mainly depended on the China-Muse overland trade route, but it has been closed since July 8 amid the third wave of Covid-19, posing transportation difficulties for traders.

U Hla Maung, a crab wholesaler from Kun Taung village, said crab exports by flight are also a challenge due to the greater costs associated with it.

“Our wholesale business is still operating, but we have to export by flight with higher expenditure. I suspended exports for a few days during the third wave of Covid-19,” he said.

The AF crab wholesale business has suspended operations due to a combination of the border trade gates’ closure, the Covid-19 pandemic and political instability, said Ko Kyaw Thi Ha, the company’s manager.

“Our business has been suspended for three months. We do not export the crabs by flight,” Ko Kyaw Thiha said.

While the business has suspended operations, its employees have been without work and are not being paid, so many have left their jobs, he added.

Crab catch hauls and export volumes are typically highest during the rainy season, but the traders and fishermen involved in the business are struggling this year due to the overland border trade suspension.

The price of crab in previous months was up to K6,000 per kilogramme, but buyers are paying around just K3,000 at the moment, crab traders said.