Paddy farmers in Manaung Twsp face losses due to poor harvest

03 Dec 2020

Aung Kaung Zaw | DMG
3 December 2020, Manaung

Rice farmers in some Manaung Township villages said they are facing losses as their paddy crops have been damaged and cannot be properly harvested.

“There were not such damages to the paddy in the past. This year, we have the paddy grains but they are of poor quality and farmers are losing,” said U Khin Maung Than from Kyun Gya village in Manaung Township, Arakan State.

“Almost all farmers have the same problem. ... I have this sort of problem on about half an acre. Another farmer has 2 acres of damaged crops. We don’t know why this happened,” he added.

Manaung Township’s Kyun Ywa village also reported similar problems with their paddy, the villagers said.

“We have these sorts of unsuccessful grains a little bit. I think it could be due to less rain. However, I can’t say for sure,” said U Tun Min, a farmer from Kyun Ywa village.

The head of the Manaung Township Agriculture Department, U Tun Saw, said that on the contrary, the problem was due to incessant rains during the flowering stage of the crop, describing the impact as lower quality, smaller rice grains.

“It is the continuous downpour of rain during the time of paddy flowering and not other causes such as pests,” he said.

Farmers in Manaung Township have been switching to other businesses and sources of livelihood due to the rising costs of planting and harvesting the staple crop.

The going rate for a basket of paddy in Manaung Township is K6,500, locals said. Rice traders said there are more people who consume rice coming from the Myanmar mainland rather than the local harvest.