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Photo News: Small-scale brown slab sugar industry in Taungup struggles amid economic downturn
Before the recent escalation of fighting, one viss of brown slab sugar was sold for between K7,000 and K25,000. At present, the price has dropped to around K4,500 per viss, making it difficult for producers to cover rising cultivation and labor costs.
06 Apr 2026
DMG Newsroom
6 April 2026, Taungup
Business owners in Arakan State report that the regional economy is facing a severe downturn due to the regime’s ongoing blockades. Despite these challenges, small-scale local industries are striving to sustain their operations.
Among them is the traditional brown slab sugar industry in the Kintaw area of Taungup Township, which is currently under the control of the Arakan Army.
The Kintaw area has around 100 brown slab sugar production kilns, each employing five to seven local workers and providing livelihoods for hundreds of residents.
However, the ongoing armed conflict has severely disrupted trade. Producers are no longer able to export their goods to key markets across Arakan State or to the Bangladesh border. As a result, brown slab sugar is piling up in warehouses, with sales limited to nearby townships.
Before the recent escalation of fighting, one viss of brown slab sugar was sold for between K7,000 and K25,000. At present, the price has dropped to around K4,500 per viss, making it difficult for producers to cover rising cultivation and labor costs.
Business owners are calling for the opening of new market channels to ensure stable sales and the long-term survival of the industry.
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