Rice Prices in Myanmar Plummet, Farmers Left Destitute! Monsoon Rice Planting Area Likely to Shrink Dramatically

Published 2025년 6월 23일

Tridge summary

Currently, summer rice market prices show that only slightly over 1 million Myanmar kyat can be obtained per 100 baskets (about 50 pounds). With declining rice yields, rising harvester rental fees, and other conditions, farmers face a loss situation where they cannot recover planting costs. Therefore, most farmers have decided not to fully plant their own farmland, but instead reduce rainy season rice planting scale and minimize planting costs as much as possible.

A farmer from Bago Province's Pyinmana Township said, "This year's summer harvest fees are as high as 200,000 Myanmar kyat, with threshing fees at 50,000. Weather disasters and pest damage meant our seven-household joint farming plot only produced 40 baskets of rice, with no return. The harvested rice cannot even cover harvesting fees, with labor and time completely wasted. Machinery, fertilizer, herbicides, and rice seeds were all losses. Not a single penny of capital was recovered, making this the most severe loss year. Seeing rice prices continuously low, we dare not continue planting rainy season rice. With these market conditions, losses are certain, so we do not plan to plant the entire land and will let some farmland lie fallow."

Planting rainy season rice requires at least 800,000 Myanmar kyat per acre (excluding mature period harvest fees). Based on current prices of just over 1 million Myanmar kyat per 100 baskets, even with 80 baskets per acre, costs cannot be covered. Therefore, farmers are reducing acreage, reducing pesticide use, and minimizing expenses.

Farmers in Ayeyarwady Province stated, "This is a year of massive farmer losses, with rainy season rice stockists and summer rice growers all losing money. Now everyone fears planting rainy season rice. Unless 100 baskets can sell for over 1.6 million Myanmar kyat, there is absolutely no profit. Although rainy season precipitation is abundant and wild rice has grown, we have decided to abandon those fields."

Besides falling rice prices, domestic conflicts and regional instability may also lead to reduced rainy season rice planting areas.

In the current rice market, not only are newly listed summer rice prices declining with low trading volume, but last year's stored rainy season rice prices are also continuously dropping, with

Original content

Currently, summer rice paddy market conditions show that only slightly over 1 million Myanmar kyat can be obtained per 100 baskets (approximately 50-pound bags). With declining rice yields, rising harvester rental fees, and other factors, farmers are facing losses that prevent them from recovering planting costs. As a result, most farmers have decided not to fully plant their own farmland, instead reducing rainy season rice planting scale and minimizing cultivation expenses. A farmer from Bago Province's Pegu Township said, "This year's harvest fees reached 20 million Myanmar kyat, with threshing fees adding another 500,000. Due to weather disasters and pest damage, our seven-household joint farming plot only produced 40 baskets of rice, resulting in a complete loss. The harvested rice isn't even enough to cover harvesting fees, with all human labor and time wasted. Machinery, fertilizer, herbicide, and rice seed costs are all losses, with not a single kyat of principal ...

Source: Foodmate