By Kantarawaddy Times
Farmers in Dee Maw Hso Township, Karenni State, are concerned that over 500 acres of paddy fields may go unharvested due to the presence of military troops.
“Some paddy fields are already fully grown. By the end of September, they would be ready for harvest. Some fields are still in the early stages. However, we are worried that military activities will continue, disrupting the harvest season. If we can’t harvest, we are concerned about facing hunger,” said a male farmer.
Since mid-August, military forces, comprising around 200 troops, have been advancing from Loikaw to the Loikaw-Dee Maw Hso border area. Farmers from Daw Poe Si, Sanpya 6-mile, 5-mile, and other nearby villages are worried that their crops will remain unharvested due to the conflict.
Farmers in villages within Dee Maw Hso Township, who had returned to their fields to replant, are now fleeing to IDP camps once again, according to one farmer.
For nearly four years, the people of Dee Maw Hso Township have been displaced due to the unstable military situation in Karenni State. Some had begun to return and replant their paddy fields when conditions allowed.
A farmer explained that around 1,000 acres of land have been cultivated in Dee Maw Hso and Loikaw. Of those, about 500 acres are in close proximity to conflict zones.
“We have already invested a lot. For one acre, the total cost, excluding harvesting, is around 2 million Kyat,” said a male farmer.
Following recent military operations, resistance forces had regained control of areas such as Daw Poe Si, 5-mile, Sanpya 6-mile, Bettalein, and Wat Laing Htwe along the Union Highway. However, in the third week of August, military troops re-occupied these areas.
