Rice Farmers Hit By 40% Crop Lost

Farmers along the Done-Tha-Mi River face severe rice shortages this year due to wet season flooding.

Farmers in Mon State and Karen State claim this years rice harvest is almost less than half and blame floodwaters for the shortage.

Naw Ya Pu, a villager from Kya-Thaung-Seik in the eastern part of the Done-Tha-Mi River in Hpa-An Township spoke to Karen News.

“Our paddies have produced less this year. We are down 40% on last years harvest. Our paddy plants this year were tinted yellow not green. Most of the people around here will have to buy-in rice this year.”

Naw Ya Pu said last years heavy rains damaged the rice plants and to add to the villagers troubles insect plagues also attacked the rice crop.

Naw Ya Pu estimates that one-acre of rice paddy produces 35 baskets, this year’s rice harvest produced less than 20 baskets.

As many as 30-villages from the eastern region of Done-Tha-Mi River, in Hpa-An Township, are facing a low rice yield this year.

A community elder from Kya-Thaung-Seik village told Karen News that last year’s flloding was the worst she had witness.

“We have had flooding before, but our paddies were not damaged as much as this. It is the worst this time.”

Farmers said rice prices have risen this year, but they cannot take advantage of it as they need the rice to feed their families.

Karen villages along the Done-Tha-Mi River earn their living by growing crops such as rice paddy, sesame seeds, sugarcane, beans and seasonal vegetables.
Villages affected by flooding included, Kya-Thaung-Seik (east-west part), Pyin-Ma-Seik (east-west part) such as Kaw-Poe-Kho, Lay-Khaw-Hti, Htee-Pah-Doh-Khee, Htaw-Klaw-Hta, Myit-Kyo, Thoo-Ka-Bee, Kyoe-Wine-Ywar-Gyi, Kyoe-Wine-Ywar-Lay, Lay-Kay, Min-Zaw, Ta-Kay-Laung, Kyauk-Phya.