CNI News
19 October 2023
Although the price of watermelon being exported to China from Myanmar is currently high to an extent at present, due to truck fare, parking fee and high tax, watermelon growers and traders are making a loss, said watermelon traders.
The cost of 16 tons of watermelons and truck fare is about 9,000,000 and the sales revenue is only about 8,000,000, Ko Thitsar, a watermelon grower from Sagaing Region, told CNI News.
" When we started exporting watermelon to China, the price was 1,500 yuan per ton. The price was not so bad. But due to the high cost and tax, traders make a loss. Suppose that out of 16 tons of watermelons loaded on a truck, 3 tons cannot be sold, you get 19,500 yuan for 13 tons of watermelon. In other words, you get 8,677,500 kyats. But you have to pay the tax and parking fees in both countries. The cost is 9,000,000 kyats altogether. So, you make a loss about 1,000,000 kyats." he said.
They So, some traders have suspended exporting watermelon to China and they are exporting to Yangon market. The entry of watermelons into the Yangon market reached a record high.
Trucks of watermelon that will be exported to China
At present, watermelon purchases from China are still low. If watermelon traders from many parts of China came and bought, the price of watermelon would be higher, a watermelon trader from Yangon told CNI News.
"I have never seen such a large number of watermelon trucks enter Yangon before. Their entry reached a record high. Because demand and supply are not equal in Yangon, sellers are finding it difficult. Mainly, distant Chinese buyers haven't come to buy as yet. If they come, the market will be bigger. Later, as the qualities of watermelon and cucumber has been good, there is a possibility that the prices will rise." he said.
If watermelons can be exported to China under a bilateral agreement, it will be more convenient for farmers reportedly. Moreover, if Chinese traders come to 105th-mile Muse trade zone and buy watermelons, costs will be reduced for Myanmar traders and farmers, pointed out watermelon traders.
