Summer paddy acreage increases in Arakan State

17 Jan 2023

DMG Newsroom
17 January 2023, Sittwe

Only 822 acres of summer paddy were cultivated in Arakan State last year, while 1,545 acres were grown this year, an increase of 723 acres, according to figures from the Arakan State Department of Agriculture.

Summer paddy is mainly grown in townships such as Arakan State’s Ponnagyun, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Rathedaung and Minbya, and the cultivation of summer paddy this year has increased by almost two times compared with last year.

U Oo Tun Myint, head of the Arakan State Department of Agriculture, said the increase in summer paddy acreage was due to the use of irrigation systems and farmers becoming more aware of the status of paddy cultivation.

“As the price of paddy is good and the cultivation is productive, the farmers want to plant summer paddy. Another thing is that the availability of irrigation water for farmers is getting better year by year. In the past, farmers had difficulty getting water for cultivation. Now that the farmers have access to irrigation water, they will be more successful,” he explained.

He continued that the Department of Agriculture is selling fertiliser to various townships at a price of less than K50,000 per bag for farmers growing summer paddy.

Although the summer paddy acreage has increased in Arakan State this year, farmers say they still need to learn more about summer paddy cultivation techniques.

“There are many farmers who are planting summer paddy in Kyauktaw this year. In order to grow more summer paddy, we still need to concrete the irrigation ditches from the dam. Farmers want to plant summer paddy, but there is plenty of water in the dam, but the drains are not strong enough, so they cannot plant it yet,” said U Maung Htwee, a local farmer in Kyauktaw Township.

The farmers of Kyauktaw Township who grow summer paddy mainly use water from the Pyaine Chaung and Zee Chaung reservoirs.

Summer paddy is grown in Arakan State using various methods such as irrigation system, river water pumping system, natural water system, and pumping irrigation system.

Farmers who grow summer paddy with river water pumping system and pumping irrigation systems have high labour costs and low profits due to rising fuel prices and irregular electricity supply, said U Maung Shwe, a local farmer from Purein Village in Mrauk-U Township.

“Farmers always need electricity when they grow summer paddy with a river water pumping system. Now that we don’t have regular electricity, farmers are having trouble growing summer paddy,” U Maung Shwe said.

Those who grow summer paddy with the irrigation system pay only K2,000 per acre as water tax, and the farmers estimate that if the paddy yields are good, they will be profitable because they will get the fertiliser at a low price.

The farmers said the irrigation system should be properly implemented in Arakan State in order to improve the cultivation of summer paddy.

There are more than 10 dams and reservoirs, including Thaing Chaung Reservoir, Ngapali Reservoir and the Khami Kyeinchaung dam in Arakan State, but there is less summer paddy cultivation under the irrigation system.