CNI News
9 January 2024
Although the demand for Myanmar watermelons from China has increased after the New Year, Myanmar farmers are making a loss because the quality of their products were damaged due to hard transportations reportedly.
The Kyin San Kyawt Gate, a main place where Myanmar watermelons were exported to China cannot be used for the time being because there are no territorial stabilities'.
So, Myanmar watermelons are being exported through Myla and Loije border trade camps which take 10 days to take the watermelons to China. When exporting the watermelons through Myla, not only it takes long, the cost is also high.
While seeing a watermelon plantation
The transportation charge for a 16-ton truck is 250 lakh kyats and farmers are losing about 1000,000 kyats, Ko Thitsar, a watermelon farmer from Sagaing Region, told CNI News.
" The price of watermelon has declined in the domestic market and so has in China. The main reason is because the quality has declined and the transportation is difficult. For a truck that can hold 16 tons of watermelons, its freight cost is about 7,500,000 kyats until it reaches Myla. A total investment is about 250 lakh kyats if the value of watermelons and other expenditures are added. Due to the delay on the way, the watermelons are damaged. So, farmers lose 10 to 15 lakh kyats for a truck of watermelons." he said.
If the watermelons are exported through Kyin San Kyawt, they can reach the place where the watermelons are sold in China within two days. But as exporting through Myla takes 10 days, the quality of watermelons is damaged and the price also has declined reportedly.
While seeing trucks loaded with watermelons
So, watermelon farmers are sending their products to the Yangon Market. However, because it is not convenient to sell watermelons in the local market alone, some watermelon traders and farmers are taking risk to export watermelons to China. If the transportation continues to be difficult like this, the watermelon market will not recover, Ko Kyaw Win, a watermelon trader, told CNI News.
" The farmers who grew watermelons on an acre of land last year grow them on ten acres. So, the watermelons are abundant. To send the watermelons to the market, transportation is important. If the transportation is bad like this, we can't expect the watermelon market to be better." he said.
Sugar cane and coal are on China's list of priority goods. Watermelon is not on China's list of priority commodities although China is buying Myanmar watermelons. So, watermelon trucks from Myanmar are entering China with the wait-in-line system.
So, the farmers and traders have to wait long to sell watermelons. As having to wait long like that could damage the quality of the watermelons, farmers and traders should be careful when exporting the watermelons, pointed out market analysts.
As there is still no way to improve the current traffic situation, the watermelon farmers should grow, depending on the local market, suggested traders.
