Over 70,000 acres of sesame fields ruined by floodwaters in Magway Region

By Admin 23 May 2023

DMG Newsroom
23 May 2023, Sittwe

More than 70,000 acres of sesame fields were ruined by flooding triggered by Cyclone Mocha in Magway Region, with financial losses totaling around 18 billion kyats, according to local sesame growers.  

Sagu, Salin and Pwintbyu townships suffered the heaviest losses, with more than 40,000 acres ruined in Pwintbyu, followed by over 20,000 acres in Salin and over 7,000 acres in Sagu.

“Some three acres of my sesame fields were completely ruined by floods. Normally, we grow monsoon paddy after the sesame harvest. We will have difficulties growing monsoon paddy now as the sesame fields were ruined,” said sesame grower U Nyunt Win from Pwintbyu Township.

More than 20 villages were flooded in Salin Township, and over 38,000 acres of crops were ruined. Sesame fields accounted for over 21,000 of those acres, said Salin resident Ko Tun Tun Soe.

“Three of my sesame fields were completely ruined. We usually grow monsoon paddy after sesame harvest. We buy paddy seeds with the money we earn from selling sesame. However, the sesame fields have been ruined, and it is just two months before the monsoon paddy cultivation season starts. Some growers borrowed money to grow sesame, and they can’t pay back those loans. So, I would like to urge donors to donate paddy seeds,” he said.

There are 62 village-tracts in Sagu Township, and over 7,000 acres of sesame fields were flooded across eight village-tracts.

“My sesame fields were completely flooded. It seems impossible to recover economically. And I can’t repay my loans,” said sesame grower Ko Maung Maung Soe from Pan Hlwar village-tract.

 “The harvest time has not yet arrived. There won’t be a harvest as sesame fields were ruined, predicted market insider Ko Sithu. “Those being sold in the market are existing stocks. The demand is high. The price was just over 90,000 kyats before the storm. The price hit 110,000 kyats, and has slightly declined now.”

Magwe has around 1.2 million acres of sesame fields, making it the largest grower of sesame in Myanmar. 

White and black sesame is an export item, and more than 4,000 tonnes of sesame were exported in 2022, according to the agriculture department.