CNI News
30 August 2022
It would be helpful for farmers if fertiliizers were sold at the subsidized prices at the rate of one bag of fertilizer per acre at present, when cultivation costs are extremely high, the Development of Farmers Association told the CNI.
The association said that fertilizer prices have risen from K 60,000 previously to K 120,000 per bag at present and farmers have expected that the government will sell fertilizers to them at subsidized prices of about K 80,000 per bag.
Chairman U Thein Aung of the DFA told the CNI, “One bag per acre is in no way sufficient because farmers need at least two to three bags of fertilizer per acre for flooded farms. Another factor is farmers in the lower Ayeyarwady Delta including Pyapon District, Labutta and Myaungmya Districts employ double crops, paddy-after-paddy. As they cultivate one crop of paddy after another. So, they need at least four bags of fertilizers per acre. If a bag of fertilizer per acre is available at subsidized prices, they will be able to mix them with natural and compound fertilizers for cultivation of crops. This will be helpful for farmers.”
Farmers mix chemical and natural fertilizers.
Farmers said that it was also necessary to take measures to provide the subsidized fertilizers to the hands of farmers in cooperation with relevant departments systematically, farmers said.
Moreover, it is also important to establish 24-hour complaint centres if the fertilizers fail to reach farmers, a farmer told the CNI.
He said, “Subsidized fertilizers should be distributed not to selected farmers but to all farmers by collecting statistics of acreage of summer paddy in respective townships in cooperation with the Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistics Department. If a farmer fail to receive the subsidized fertilizers even if he is eligible, he should be able to make complaints with relevant departments like the Department of Agriculture and the DALMS. Only then, will farmers be able to receive fertilizers. Otherwise, it will be said that the government offered help to farmers but no one received it.”
As cultivation costs are extremely high, the Myanmar Rice Federation is reported to import 177,000 tons of urea fertilizer and to distribute it to farmers who will cultivate summar and winter crops in a timely manner. The CNI contacted the federation to verify the reports but officials of the federation did not answer the phone.
