High costs mean fewer winter crop farmers in Arakan State this year

By DMG 27 Dec 2021

DMG Newsroom
27 December 2021, Sittwe 

Winter crop growers in Arakan State say their ranks have dwindled this year due to higher agricultural costs. 

Farmers in Arakan State say winter crop prospects have dimmed as the price of fertiliser has risen more than threefold compared with past years, in addition to labour costs having increased significantly. 

“In previous years, a bag of fertiliser cost only K30,000, but now the price has risen to almost K100,000. Growing costs have risen, but winter crop yields have fallen due to poor yields,” said Ko Oo Thein Win, a local farmer from Maung Ni Pyin village in Sittwe Township. 

“This year, the number of winter crop growers is expected to have decreased significantly. There are rumours that vegetables are in short supply at the moment. Therefore, winter crops from Arakan State will be rare this year,” Ko Oo Thein Win told DMG.   

Crops such as maize, watermelon, cabbage, tomato, eggplant, ridge gourd, green beans, gourd, and bitter gourd are among Arakan State farmers’ offerings during a typical winter growing season. 

U Aung Kyaw from Maung Ni Pyin village, who has been in the farming business for more than 30 years, also said some agricultural workers have been laid off this year due to the high-cost difficulties. 

“Some workers have been laid off because fertiliser prices have risen. And hiring workers here is expensive,” he added. 

Ko Khaing Aung Tun from Shwe Pyi Thit village, Kyauktaw Township, who has been cultivating winter crops for more than eight years, estimated that winter crop cultivation has dropped by about 70% this year. 

“This year, winter crop farmers are less productive than in previous years. There are many farmers who cannot grow winter crops because of the high price of fertiliser and labour costs,” he added. 

Adding to Arakan State farmers’ woes, sourcing groundnuts from Magway Region has been difficult this year due to political instability and violence there.