CNI News

26 Sept 2022

The SAC has planned to import fertilizers from Russia and farmers have called for the distribution of the fertilizers at less than MMK 100;000 per bag (50-Kg), some farmers told the CNI.

U Khin Maung Myint, an onion farmer, said, “I think they will import fertilizers at about MMK 70,000 per bag. Fertilizers must meet standards and their prices must be reasonable. We cannot afford fertilizers at current prices of MMK 170,000 per bag. If the prices fall below MMK 100,000 per bag, farmers can afford fertilizers. It is important that prices must be reasonable. They can distribute fertilizers through any system they like.”

Currently, Myanmar imports fertilizers from China, Thailand and Bangladesh and the prices have risen to MMK 170,000 per bag, according to farmers.

Maj Gen Zaw Min Tun told reporters at the 20^th Press Conference that the SAC signed an MOU to import fertilizers from Russia and farmers told the CNI that they welcomed the move.

  A woman harvesting paddy.

Chairman U Thein Aung of the Farmers Development Association told the CNI, “It can be said that they have done what they should. The most important thing at the moment is to boost paddy yields and not to reduce the total acreage of the crop. Among the inputs for cultivation of paddy, fertilizers are very important. It costs MMK 300,000 to feed an acre of paddy. They have to use at least two bags of Urea fertilizer. The most input is fertilizers. If the government can distribute fertilizers, whether they are produced locally or imported, at reasonable prices, decrease in total acreage and yields of paddy can be prevented. So, importing fertilizers is what the government should do without fail. I think the government is carefully placing emphasis on agriculture. We are glad and welcome the move. Farmers can afford fertilizers if they distribute them below MMK 100,000.”

Although they have never used Russian fertilizers, Myanmar farmers said Russian fertilizers would be effective like others imported from China, Thailand and Bangladesh.

Farmer U Aung Kyaw Mya told the CNI that authorities should distribute imported fertilizers into the hands of farmers directly when the fertilizers arrive in Myanmar.

 A paddy field.

“Under successive governments, outcomes have nothing to do with the objective. Authorities should try to distribute fertilizers into the hands of real farmers directly so that they can use fertilizers in their farms. If fertilizers fall into the hands of people who have enough money and we are forced to buy fertilizers from them, we will have to pay higher prices. We won’t get what the government gives us. So, authorities should distribute fertilizers into the hands of farmers directly by verifying with their Forms Seven.”

If the fertilizers are to be rationed, the government should distribute at least one bag of fertilizer for one acre of farmland and relevant ministries should issue standards of procedures to distribute fertilizers into the hands of farmers directly so that they can enjoy as much benefit as they should.

Currently, farmers have reduced their crop acreage due to skyrocketing prices of fertilizers and are even thinking about whether they should cultivate summer paddy or not.

If fertilizers imported from Russia can be distributed at reasonable prices, crop yields can be maintained at former levels, according to farmers.