CNI News
12 August 2022
As SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said to put efforts to increase rice yield, chairman of the Farmers’ Life Development Association U Thein Aung told CNI that fertilizer supply is needed this month (in August) to increase rice yield.
SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said on August 8 that he will make sure to perform that farmers get fertilizer, pesticide and agricultural water regarding rice cultivation and production.
The chairperson of the Farmers’ Life Development Association, U Thein Aung told CNI that if those are planned to support, it is necessary to be able to do it during August, and if it goes beyond August, it is not going to be the right time as the rice will be ready to be harvested.
U Thein Aung said, “If they really do it, it is possible if they ask the respective Prime Ministers to implement this plan as they have a mechanism and if the responsible persons, from the State to the district, then district to township then township to the village administrations, do without hesitancy. They have the mechanism and is still in process. So, it can be. But the case is that if it can be done within August, we still have time. If August is passed and September comes, we won’t have time as the rice will be harvested around that time. But we can wait the spring rice.”
SAC meeting
Farmers said that this year, they reduced the use of fertilizers due to the price surge of inputs such as engine fuel, pesticide, fertilizer in growing the rice, thus it will lead to the decrease in rice yield.
So, U Thein Aung said that it would be possible to increase the rice yield if fertilizer supply will be provided during August, but there will not be the increase in rice yield if that supply is not available to the grassroots farmers.
He said, “On the part of the farmers, there are those who plant pure seeds so that they can earn as much as they deserve. However, they may have already grown rainfed rice.
Anyhow, as the last fact, to have the rise in rice yield, it is still probable if they are provided enough manure from the back. It is not that easy. It is possible only if the supply can be provided. But how can it be increased if the plan just remains at the above level and not reaches to the ground?”
Farmers said that this year’s rainfed rice production rate will be reduced by 10 percent due to the reduced fertilizer use. Besides, it is reportedly known that although rice was planted in Rakhine State, fertilizers are mainly needed as there had been damage in rice growing due to drought.
Farmers planting rice
Therefore, U Kyaw Zan, chairman of the Rakhine State Farmers’ Union, told CNI that it would be beneficial to a certain extent if the government can manage the necessary support to the farmers.
U Kyaw Zan said, “Now on our side, not with the support of the government, we are self-supporting. Some are even in the situation that they have given up. For some, they still hold a piece of hope. In some areas, the rain has started to pour again. So, it is seen that they are growing again. At this time, it can be beneficial to some extent, even if it is not 100 percent, if the government can offer the necessary support.”
It is also known that owing to the damage of the cultivated rice as a result of the drought in Rakhine State, there are also farmers who cannot afford to replant and there are some too who left their farms and went to work abroad.
According to the Rakhine Farmers’ Union, more and more farmers have left their farms in Pauktaw, Myebon, Mrauk U, Minbya townships.
