Peanuts rotting in the ground? Myanmar's bumper peanut harvest sees prices slashed, leaving farmers waiting in vain for buyers.

Multiple villages along the Thanlwin River, such as Tseonso Village, Minse Village, Botto Village, Mergedi Village, Panala Island Village, Kado Village, Deoula Village, Gaozai Village, and Guolai Village, mainly grow peanuts, and it is currently the season for a large harvest of winter peanuts. Farmers said that this year there are significantly fewer buyers for winter peanuts compared to previous years, and the quantity purchased by peanut collection points in Pa-an Town has also decreased, leading to a sharp drop in peanut prices. A farmer from Panala Island told the media: "When they were first put on the market, everyone sent them to Pa-an because the sales route to Yangon was open, but later the sales route was closed again, making it very difficult. Prices also fell, and Pa-an's collection points no longer buy them." These peanut growers in Pa-an Town mainly trade freshly pulled, wet peanut pods. It is understood that last year the price for each basket of peanuts was as high as 40,000 Myanmar kyat, but currently the price per basket is only around 20,000 to 30,000 Myanmar kyat. In Kawkareik Town, which also grows a large number of winter peanuts, the peanut prices this year are similarly low and trading is not smooth. A merchant who transported peanuts through the Thai-Myanmar border via Paikalan Village said: "This year there is no price, we bought and transported them there, but the price fell again, it's not worth it, and the cost of peanut bags has also increased, it's not profitable, so we have temporarily stopped for now." Peanuts produced in Kayin State are mainly shipped to Yangon and the Thai-Myanmar border areas. However, it is understood that due to the current political and military conflict situation, trade routes are blocked, and many merchants have also suspended trading.