Mu Filister / Kantarawaddy Times
“I’m a Karenni. If the knowledge I’ve gained and the experiences I’ve been through aren’t used for the Karenni people, then this life of mine has no meaning,” said Dr. Saw Oo Reh.
Agriculture expert Dr. Saw Oo Reh says that mixed rice fields will never be able to match the yield standards of pure rice fields.
He explains that in a wardrobe, just as neatly folding clothes allows more to fit than stuffing them randomly, planting pure rice seeds yields more than sowing mixed varieties in the same field.
Though farmers were already aware of this principle during the pre-coup era (2010–2020), they couldn’t afford the time or resources to plant pure rice separately to increase yield due to struggling year after year to make ends meet.
Whether due to war conditions, inability to plant, impure seeds, or lack of fertilizer, rice production in Karenni State has declined.
In 2024, Dr. Saw Oo Reh, who holds a Ph.D. in Agriculture from Japan, began addressing this problem with a small step.
Dr. Saw Oo Reh, a native of DeeMawHso in Karenni State and approximately 40 years old, started planting rice himself in late 2024 at a location near the Karenni border to produce pure rice seeds.
“We need to systematically produce rice that reaches farmers’ hands. From there, high-quality rice or milled rice must also reach consumers. The main goal is food security to prevent famine so our people don’t have to rely on others to feed them,” he said.
“The main goal is food security to prevent famine so our people don’t have to rely on others to feed them,” Dr. Saw Oo Reh said.
In his field for pure seed production, Dr. Saw Oo Reh is cultivating four rice varieties that are common in Karenni, such as Ta Youte Mwel, Shwe Aa, 502, and Ya Koe (Ya-9, a mountain paddy variety), covering over one acre in total.
Producing pure rice seeds requires a four-stage process. Typically, progressing through each stage takes a year, totaling about four years before seeds can be distributed to farmers.
“Let’s call them purification stages 1, 2, 3, and 4.
- Stage 1: From a single seed to a row (seed purity 98%)
- Stage 2: From a row to a plot (seed purity 98%)
- Stage 3: From a plot to an acre (seed purity 98%)
- Stage 4: From one acre to 10 acres (seed purity 97%),” he explained.
Due to the urgent need for pure seeds, he’s working to compress the process into two years instead of four.
He began Stage 1 in early November 2024 using small pots. That production is now harvested, and he is preparing for Stage 2.
Therefore, Stage 4, which provides 97% pure seeds to farmers, is expected to be ready only after the 2027 monsoon season, which is likely by the summer of 2028.
However, reaching that goal comes with challenges. It depends on social conditions, available human resources, cooperation from relevant organizations, and budget. Failing to overcome any of these obstacles could delay the process even further.
In addition, to meet urgent demand, he is also bypassing stages and producing 70–80% purity seeds within a single year. He began this process using farmer-supplied seeds in January 2025.
To do so, he selects seeds with uniform size, color, and traits. These are then grown, and each plant is assessed to confirm whether it matches the original variety. Only then are individual plants cultivated to maturity, ensuring purity through flowering to full maturity. Harvesting must also be done by hand to prevent damage and ensure quality.
These harvested seeds are then replanted the next season to yield pure seeds with 70–80% purity.
“If you call it Shwe Yin Aye (a popular variety), every single grain must reflect the name from the appearance to the taste,” said Dr. Saw Oo Reh.
Before the military coup, government departments in Karenni State distributed and sold pure rice seeds. Regions like Loikaw and DeeMawHso, which are the most productive areas, had government-run model farms to boost yields. That was only possible due to long-term state investment.
After the coup, DeeMawHso Township now has the highest number of displaced persons, about 80% of whom are farmers.
As a result, local rice production has dropped, and farmers now rely on donated rice for survival.
With increasing demand, Dr. Saw Oo Reh is working to supply farmers with pure rice seeds either once a year or once every two years.
“If we start planting in summer 2025 and multiply again during the 2025 rainy season, then by summer 2026, we expect to distribute 70–80% pure seeds. But seeds with 98% purity won’t be available for distribution until summer 2028. A lot depends on whether authorities understand and permit our efforts,” he said.
Dr. Saw Oo Reh has over 12 years of experience working with rice-related projects in government departments. Even after earning his Ph.D. in agriculture, he stepped into the fields himself to produce pure rice seeds. He says he doesn’t even have time to complain, because this path was his choice.
“With everything, from plowing the field, selecting the seeds, dealing with fertilizing soil, to spraying pesticides, if necessary, I have to do it all myself. It’s exhausting. But I feel fulfilled. One day, I want to tell my grandchildren these stories as bedtime tales,” said Dr. Saw Oo Reh with a smile.
The pure rice field that Dr. Saw Oo Reh is currently cultivating includes a test plot being experimented for the Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC).
To produce pure seeds, he relies on the necessary technical knowledge and advice from his Japanese friend. For the labor, he works in the field himself and also hires workers. Despite financial challenges, he is determined to produce high-quality rice seeds.
However, Dr. Saw Oo Reh said that without approval and cooperation from the government authorities, it would be difficult to successfully distribute the pure seeds throughout Karenni State.
Just like under the previous government, he aims to distribute pure rice not only within Karenni State but also as far as Southern Shan State. He emphasized that the path he is currently walking is solely for the benefit of the Karenni people.
“I’m Karenni. If the knowledge I’ve gained and the experiences I’ve gone through aren’t for the Karenni people, then this life of mine has meaning,” said Dr. Saw Oo Reh.
Dr. Saw Oo Reh hopes that by growing and distributing his pure seeds, the people of Karenni can achieve food security and overcome hunger.
That’s why he expressed his willingness to collaborate with any genuinely committed organization to help distribute high-yield rice seeds across the entire state.
