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| In late July 2023, I saw some farmers from Sagaing who were growing rice. |
Farmers told RFA that the price of 2023 rainy rice and 2024 spring rice, announced on October 10 by the leading group for the protection of farmers' rights and promotion of interests under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Military Council, is 7.5 million kyats per 100 baskets of rice, which does not cover the cost of cultivation.
But if the current market price is more than 750,000, you will have to buy according to the market price. If it falls, it must be bought for 700,000, according to the leading group for the protection of farmers' rights and interests.
"What's the point? The price they set is too high."
He also said that farmers who have difficulty selling at the set price can contact the Myanmar Rice Federation.
According to the Myanmar Rice Federation, this year's reference prices for one hundred bags of rain rice are 13,000 to 15,000 kyats for Gujamat and Ngsein. Irrawaddy Por San from Kyat 16,000 to 18,000,000. Shwe Bo Por San from 16,000 to 20,000 Kyats and Eramin, It was announced on September 19th that the Erapada must be sold between 16,000 and 18,000 kyats.
These prices are not commensurate with the cost, said a farmer from Sagaing who wants to remain anonymous.
"What is the price? The price they set is too high. The ones planted on our side are Eramin Bedin and Shwewa Tun. (100,000) over twenty will be convenient for us. With the cost of soil and the cost of cultivation, even at 10:30 in the morning, I have to pay 5,000 (labor fee) per person. A gallon of diesel costs more than ten thousand. I'm buying this soil spray bottle for between ninety thousand and one hundred thousand. It is convenient to sow two seeds on the first ten acres. Sow about two because it's on our side. In some places, I had to sow as many as six.”
He said that at the current price, the only thing left to do is to keep the farmland as cattle pasture without planting rice.
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| On July 29, 2022, seeing the farmers working in the fields in Magway. |
An unnamed farmer who grows huge rice fields in Magway said that the price set by the Rice Federation is already causing losses for the farmers.
"With that market and the costs of today, our farmers lose out." If we don't get 200,000 for at least 100 (baskets) of rice from us, that giant farm is of no use to our farmers."
According to the statement of the Rice Federation, if there is any difficulty in purchasing at the current price, the Federation, We have also been informed to identify and report those who overcharge to inform the sister associations and the Commodity Commissioners.
U Ye Min Aung, chairman of the Rice Federation, told RFA that the prices set for this year's rice have been carefully considered to be convenient between producers and consumers.
"The price should be right when the rice is raining, I have to plan around to make it a fair price. Consumers should also be comfortable with a reasonable price. I look at the situation where the producers must be comfortable. When you give too much attention to the other side, it often causes unwanted complications. Therefore, we carefully consider this and then act.”
U Ye Min Aung said that if 100 baskets of rice cost 1400,000 kyats, a bag of rice would cost more than 60,000 kyats.
Farmers in the middle region and upper Myanmar say that they are already losing money at the fixed price because of the high cost of cultivation. In Lower Myanmar's Irrawaddy region, farmers said they could not even get a fixed price.
"This year, here in the city, Ngsein is growing 13 lakhs. 15,000,000 16 lakhs growing. Here, Por San only got 13 hundred thousand. In Ngsein, I only get 11,000,000.
It was said by an unnamed farmer who is cultivating Ngsein and Irrawaddy Porsan in Irrawaddy.
Another problem for farmers is the problem of insufficient yield due to bad weather.
Therefore, he said, it may be difficult to continue farming if we do not get the full price set by the Myanmar Rice Federation.
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| During the month of August 2023, farmers from Dala Township, Yangon Province, are engaged in farming. |
According to the statement of the military council, due to the storm Mokha that hit in May this year, Rakhine State, Every time I bend, More than 62,000 hectares in Sagaing and Mandalay regions were reported to have been destroyed.
Last September 29, farmers told RFA that hundreds of thousands of acres of paddy fields in Baguio were damaged due to continuous rain across the country.
Because of this weather, A rice trader from Irrawaddy who did not want to be named said that farmers will suffer if they do not get a good price for rice in a situation where the cost of cultivation is high.
"If it falls more than currently estimated, it will be painful for the farmers. I bought and used this raincoat. oil price Pearl (fertilizer), The price of machinery (mechanics) is also high, and after the spring, the price of rice will suffer for them.
Domestic rice price in 2021 In February, one bag of Shwe Bo Por San 24 was thirty one thousand kyats, this year, In mid-October, it is around one hundred and forty thousand kyats.
The price of Ngsein rice and cumin group rice has increased from around 21,000 kyat before to around 90,000 kyat now.
Therefore, the farmers who grow it do not benefit, The people who consume it are also in a situation where they have to pay a high price.
