By Kantarawaddy Times
Farmers in eastern Dee Maw Hso Township, Karenni State, are facing serious challenges as fertilizer prices soar to as high as 100,000 MMK per bag, while demand for paddy has sharply declined due to a lack of buyers.
Karenni State is an agriculture-dependent state where many farmers rely on selling their harvested paddy to purchase necessary inputs—such as chemical fertilizers—for the next planting season. However, the current market conditions have disrupted this cycle.
“There are hardly any traders buying paddy in eastern Dee Maw Hso right now,” one farmer explained. “Even rice mills are only buying in small quantities. Farmers want to sell their paddy to afford fertilizer, but there are no buyers.”
Although the official price of paddy in the area is set at 2,200 MMK per pyi, the actual purchase price on the ground is reportedly as low as 2,000 MMK.
With fertilizer prices rising and limited sales opportunities for paddy, farmers are also burdened by additional expenses such as labor, herbicides, pesticides, and other agricultural inputs. A 45-year-old lifelong farmer shared his struggle:
“The costs and returns just don’t match. Those who can afford to invest in everything—pesticides, herbicides—may break even or make a profit. But for families like ours with fewer resources, our capital is simply depleted. Still, we have no other options but to keep farming.”
Adding to the hardship, the military council has imposed restrictions on the transportation of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers into Karenni State. As a result, traders are relying on limited and often informal transport channels to supply the region.
Since June, the closure of key routes leading into Dee Maw Hso has also disrupted the flow of essential goods, including fuel and diesel, causing shortages and significant price hikes. These compounded challenges are placing a heavy burden on farmers trying to carry out agricultural activities under increasingly difficult conditions.
