DMH forecasts late-arriving monsoon rains in Arakan State this year

By Admin 02 Jun 2023

DMG Newsroom
2 June 2023, Sittwe

The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) has indicated that the arrival of monsoon season will be late in Arakan State this year, and the seasonal rains will recede earlier than normal.

Southwest monsoon winds will enter the Delta Region from southern Myanmar after June 10, and will be more than a week later than usual, said U Hla Tun, deputy director of the DMH.

“This year’s monsoon is not a normal monsoon. Even if the monsoon arrives late in the Delta Region, it will be even later in Arakan State. The weather is different from year to year, so even though there is no drought this year, it can be said to be a low-rain year,” he explained.

Farmers are worried that the rains will be late and less, which will affect their farming activities. DMH advises farmers to start farming after the onset of the monsoon and plant only seeds that are suitable for the climate.

“It hasn’t rained yet, but we are ploughing the field. It is cloudy at night, but no rain yet. I think it will be less rainy this year. I am also worried about drought, like last year. If there is a drought, farmers will be in trouble,” said U San Thein Aung, a local farmer from Kwasone Village in Mrauk-U Township.

During this year’s growing season in Arakan State, paddy yields reportedly decreased by as much as 50 percent due to a combination of climate change, high input costs, and soaring fertiliser prices.

The Arakan Farmers’ Union has urged farmers not to plant kaukgyi, a local paddy variety, as the monsoon will arrive late and there will be less rainfall.

“Kaukchay [another local paddy variety] ripens quickly in a few days, while kaukgyi takes a lot of time. Therefore, we want local farmers to prioritise the cultivation of kaukchay paddy so that they suffer less,” said U Myo Min Aung, chairman of the Arakan Farmers’ Union.

Arakan State, a coastal region, receives an average of 200 inches of rainfall annually. DMH has urged farmers to store water they get during this year’s rainy season as they faced a shortage of drinking water during the summer season due to lack of rainfall last year.