Local fruit sales a rare bright spot for agriculture in Arakan State

By Admin 17 Jul 2024

DMG Newsroom
17 July 2024, Mrauk-U

Seasonal crops such as mangoes, rambutan and pineapples have been fetching good prices in conflict-torn Arakan State and sales are brisk compared with last year, according to fruit growers.

“During this difficult time, we have to sell seasonal fruits from our farms to support our family. We solve livelihood hardships by selling seasonal fruits,” said a fruit grower in the Laymyo Chaung area of Mrauk-U Township.

The price of 100 mangoes has risen from K8,000 to 15,000, the price of 100 rambutans increased to K16,000 from K6,000 and the price of one pineapple soared to K2,500 from K500.

With an overall drop in fruit production in Arakan State due to the ongoing conflict between Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakkha Army, locals have had to rely on mainland Myanmar to buy fruits. Locals have meanwhile mainly consumed local fruits due to junta blockades of both roads and waterways into and within Arakan State.

“We mainly sold apples and grapes in the past. Now local people mainly consume mangoes, rambutan, and pineapples,” said a female fruit seller in Kyauktaw Township.

Fruit trees are mainly grown in the Laymyo Chaung area, the Tawphyarchaung area of Ponnagyun Township, and in Minbya, Kyauktaw and Pauktaw townships.

The farmers said that the United League of Arakan (ULA) should provide them with assistance to develop agricultural industries.

“Local people do not grow fruits commercially as local fruits do not have a specific market. It would be better if the ULA could create the market and technology to grow crops widely,” said one agriculturist.

Thousands of acres of croplands in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Ponnagyun and Minbya townships were destroyed by Cyclone Mocha in May 2023.