Arakan farmers harvest paddy early due to fears of renewed fighting

By Admin 08 Nov 2023

DMG Newsroom
8 November 2023, Sittwe

Farmers in Arakan State are harvesting paddy earlier than usual, fearing that there will be renewed hostilities during the typical paddy harvest period as the Myanmar military and Arakan Army are increasing their military activities amid rising tensions between the two sides in the country’s north.

The military has increased its presence and tightened security checks on travellers and locals in Arakan State following a declaration by the Brotherhood Alliance — of which the Arakan Army is a member — of the commencement of “Operation 1027” and all out war against the Myanmar regime. Locals are worried that fighting between the military and AA will resume in Arakan State due to the increasingly fraught relationship between the two sides.

“Farmers face various hardships this year,” said U Soe Naing, chairman of the Danyawadi Farmers’ Development Association in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Township. “They want to harvest their paddy because they used agricultural inputs to grow paddy. Farmers are harvesting their crops, fearing the possibility of renewed conflict.”

Many of the paddy seeds stored by farmers in the storm-hit townships of Arakan State for planting in the next rainy season were destroyed by Cyclone Mocha in May. Subsequent flooding triggered by heavy rains destroyed more than 70,000 acres of farmlands across seven Arakan State townships.

In the midst of such losses, the surviving cultivated paddy is beginning to ripen and farmers are preparing to harvest earlier than usual, fearing renewed hostilities could further disrupt the growing season.

“Farmers are preparing to harvest rice earlier than usual due to the unpredictable political situation,” said U Tun Hla Maung, a local farmer from Panphechaung Village in Kyauktaw Township.

Adding to farmers’ sense of wariness is the fact that many suffered losses due to declining paddy yields last year.

“In recent years, there is no profit for farmers due to the increase in the prices of fertilisers, fuel and agricultural equipment. If we are not able to harvest paddy, the life of the farmers could be very bad,” said U Tun Thein, a local farmer from Yoetayoke Village in Ponnagyun Township.

In 2022, AA members helped reap paddy during the harvest season as most of the farmers had fled the past fighting between the military and the Arakanese ethnic armed group.

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.