Myanmar Farmers Face Ruin as Middle East War Chokes Off Key Supplies
Myanmar's farmers are facing financial disaster as war in the Middle East chokes off essential supplies of fuel and chemical fertilizer.
Myanmar’s Farmers Face Financial Ruin Amid Soaring Costs
REPORTER:
Farmers are busy at work in the paddy fields of Myanmar, as clouds heavy with rain announce the start of planting season. But there’s anxiety hanging in the air. A fear many farmers will soon be wiped out by financial ruin.
REPORTER:
Getting these fields to produce requires fertilizer.
REPORTER:
Getting farm equipment to run requires fuel. And a war in the distant Middle East has cut off a key shipping route for both. For a country that imports 90% of its fuel oil and up to 95% of its chemical fertilizer, this could soon mean a collapse as supplies dwindle and prices soar.
Soe Naing (FARMER):
As a family we are losing what we have. If we need some money to grow rice, we go to a pawn shop or sell our belongings. So our belongings are gradually depleting. I really feel a lack of motivation.
REPORTER:
Even those who own their own land as opposed to renting, are doubtful about the future.
Moe Aung (FARMER):
If this situation continues, we farmers are not sure we can grow rice. I am no longer motivated to do it. I am doing it just because I own fields. I am sick of it.
REPORTER:
It’s a fresh blow to an agricultural sector that was once a global rice powerhouse. Civil war has already hurt production—and now, with farmers cutting back on fertilizer, production is set to dip further—possibly by 15% in one scenario put forward by the UN’s World Food Program.
REPORTER:
Topped off by drought and heatwaves due to a strong El Nino predicted for this year—it could mean a perfect storm of factors hurting food security in a country where that can already be precarious.
REPORTER:
Yet, the work goes on. People in this community identify strongly with farming for a living. And there are those who hope the farmers can hold on—despite the temptation to pack up and find some other job.
Su Su Nway (CHAIR, MYANMAR FARMER UNION):
We do not want future generations to read a history full of doubts -- wondering if these farmers truly existed, or if these events really happened -- if our farmers disappear and are reduced to laborers.
REPORTER:
The stress test that will determine if that happens is here. Now.
Dolphine Chen and John Van Trieste for TaiwanPlus.
