Farmers struggle harvest paddy early amid latest Arakan fighting

By Admin 27 Nov 2023

DMG Newsroom
27 November 2023, Sittwe

Farmers in Arakan State are currently having difficulty harvesting the ripe paddy due to the ongoing armed conflict between the military and the Arakan Army (AA).

Though it is time to harvest paddy, many farmers are unable to do so due to fighting around their villages and the junta’s indiscriminate artillery strikes.

“Residents dare not live in the village due to the junta’s artillery strikes, without fighting [with enemy combatants] near the village. Some of the paddy fields are overdue for harvesting,” said a local farmer from Ngasanbaw Village in Rathedaung Township.

U Phyu Lone, in his 70s from Kaythalar Pyunwa Village in Minbya Township, was killed when an artillery shell fell and exploded on a paddy field near Kyatsin Bridge while he was sleeping at about 1 a.m. on November 23.

Even before the renewed hostilities in Arakan State began, military preparations between the military and the AA were observed, and some farmers harvested their paddy earlier than usual.

The restart of conflict is the latest in a series of challenges and setbacks faced by farmers in recent years, including rising input costs, negative effects of climate change including drought and other irregular weather patterns, and unfavourable market conditions.

“We faced high costs during planting season and now it is difficult to harvest paddy. We won’t get enough paddy stocks this year,” said a local farmer from Laungkyet Taungmaw Village in Mrauk-U Township.

Farmers will monitor the conflict and use combined paddy harvesters to harvest paddy as soon as possible, but the junta has blocked land and water routes across Arakan State and there is a shortage of fuel.

“Paddy in our village is ripe. We cannot hire combined harvesters to harvest paddy due to fuel shortages. Farmers face various difficulties this year,” said a local farmer from Lanpaikkhwin Village in Kyauktaw Township.

People in Arakan State have been facing shortages of food, commodities and fuel since the junta blockaded all land and water routes to Arakan State on November 13.

“Farmers are unable to harvest their paddy due to renewed fighting in Arakan State. The flow of commodities to Arakan State has halted due to the junta’s blockading of roads. The junta has deliberately blocked off the land and water routes to stop commodity flows,” said an official from the Arakan Farmers’ Union.

Less than 900,000 out of 1.2 million acres of arable land in Arakan State could be cultivated last year due to the high cost of farming, conflict, and nearly half of farmlands being damaged by drought.

A total of 930,366 acres of arable land could be planted this year, according to figures compiled by the Arakan Farmers Union.