CNI News

22 March 2024

Although the corn produced in Myanmar is allowed to export to Thailand with tax exemption, while the maritime trade is depended, due to difficulties in the shipping section, some companies have stopped buying corn reportedly.

10 percent of the corn export was exported through maritime trade in the past. Currently, 25 percent of corn export are being exported through border trade and the rest, by maritime trade. 

Due to long waiting time for shipping, corn was piling up in warehouses and ports, U Thant Zin Tun, vice chairman of the Myanmar Corn Industrial Association, told CNI News.

Trucks loaded with bags of corn

" Some companies have suspended buying corn. The companies are giving priority to shipping corn. So, they have suspended buying corn temporarily. The corn is piling up in warehouses and at port. But, there are companies that are buying corn as well. When loading corn on a ship, it takes 10 days or more. At that time, another ship is waiting. We are finding it difficult like that." he said.

Although the ships that enter Myanmar are 30,000 tons in weight only, there are difficulties such as the tides fluctuation, laborer demand, other products and no clearance of the port.

Although it usually takes about two days for the corn to be loaded onto the ship, it takes until 10 ten days currently because of difficult policies, said traders.

Although corn export to Thailand with tax exemption has started, because of the decline in world corn prices, difficult transportation and export policy, the cost has been high and corn traders are making a loss without getting the price offered by Thailand. 

While the corn is being loaded onto the ship

So, corn purchases are delayed.

The price of corn at the port was just 1,050 kyats per viss and farmers got 800 kyats per viss, Ko Min Khaing, a corn farmer from Ayeyarwady Region, told CNI News.

"e is falling. The price in Yangon is 1,040 kyats per viss. Last year, the price was 1,200 kyats per viss at least in Yangon. It is related to the government's policy. If the policy is relaxed a little, the corn price will go up." he said.

At present Myanmar corn is being exported to Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei through maritime trade and traders are trying to export to China reportedly.

However, among rice, bean, corn and other crops which are being exported, the price of corn is the lowest. So, corn traders wanted the government to relax the export earnings policy so that corn traders could export without making a loss and farmers also could sell their corn at a higher price, said corn traders.