Arakan State oysters fetching good prices thanks to increased demand

By DMG 02 Aug 2022

DMG Newsroom
2 August 2022, Kyaukphyu

Oysters farmed in Arakan State are fetching good prices due to increased demand from Yangon and other parts of Myanmar, according to local oyster breeders.

“Buyers from Yangon are paying K900 to K1,500 for an oyster. The income from oyster farming has increased,” said oyster breeder U Khin Maung Aye from Kyaukphyu.

Demand for oysters from Yangon, Mandalay, Lashio, Muse, and Myawaddy had declined following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and last year’s coup. During that period, the price fell to around K700 per oyster due to low demand.

But this year, oyster farmers are reporting an uptick in demand that has brought new players into the industry, as well as increasing prices.

Oyster farming does not require huge investment or sophisticated equipment. However, it is difficult to find spat, or baby oysters, for farming, said oyster breeder Ko Khin Maung Htay from Ann Township.

“It will cost around 1 million kyats to raise around 5,000 oysters. And they don’t need to be fed, which is good for breeders,” he said. “But then, it is difficult to acquire spat for commercial farming. We have to search for spat in mangrove swamps. If there is a technique to produce spat, it will be easier for oyster breeders.”

A baby oyster is sold for K200 in Arakan State, and it takes one year and eight months until they have grown sufficiently to be sold, according to breeders.

Last year, there were 15,000 oyster farms in Arakan State’s Kyaukphyu and Gwa townships, and the number of farms has doubled this year, according to the Arakan State Fisheries Department.