• Burmese
Saturday, May 24, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
32 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

Myanmar Farmers Say Govt Failing to Buy Rice at Floor Price

Salai Thant Zin by Salai Thant Zin
November 4, 2019
in Burma
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0 0
A A
Farmers at Kangyidaunt Township in Ayeyarwady Region / Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy

Farmers at Kangyidaunt Township in Ayeyarwady Region / Salai Thant Zin / The Irrawaddy

8k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

PATHEIN, Ayeyarwady Region—Rice paddy farmers in Ayeyarwady Region have complained that merchants are paying them less than the minimum price recently set by the government.

The government’s Leading Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Interests of Farmers, led by Vice President Henry Van Thio, fixed the floor price for rice this year at 500,000 kyats for 100 baskets of paddy (US$327.30 for about 2.09 tons) in a move to protect the interests of paddy farmers.

But farmers in Ayeyarwady Region said merchants only pay for around 450,000 kyats for 100 baskets of paddy.

RelatedPosts

Myanmar Junta Chief Meets China’s Xi for First Time: State Media

Myanmar Junta Chief Meets China’s Xi for First Time: State Media

May 10, 2025
2.1k
How China Manipulates Myanmar’s Ethnic Resistance

How China Manipulates Myanmar’s Ethnic Resistance

May 8, 2025
3.6k
Malaysia PM Says to Meet Myanmar Junta Chief Over Quake Relief

Malaysia PM Says to Meet Myanmar Junta Chief Over Quake Relief

April 15, 2025
1.2k

“In Maubin, paddy prices are between 450,000 and 480,000 kyats. This is the price given by merchants and rice millers. Though the government said the minimum price is 500,000 kyats, nobody is paying that price, and the government is not buying directly from farmers, so we can only sell at market rates,” said rice farmer U Hla Htay of Yenangyoung village in Maubin Township.

The government said in the second week of October that it will pay the floor price for paddy that meets quality standards: the grains, once processed, must have a moisture content of 14 percent and the baskets can’t contain any dust, sand or gravel.

According to the government’s statement, if the market rate is higher than the floor price, rice is to be bought according to the market rate, but if the market rate is lower than the floor price, rice is to be bought at floor price.

The floor price will be applied for this year’s monsoon paddy season and next year’s summer paddy season. Once minimum prices fall below the minimum price, paddy purchase committees formed by regional and state governments are responsible for purchasing rice from farmers with the approval of the vice president’s leading committee. But in the case of Ayeyarwady Region, the regional paddy purchase committee is failing to intervene.

Currently, the market prices of lower grade paddy are between 400,000 and 480,000 kyats per 100 baskets in Hinthada District, between 450,000 and 480,000 kyats in Maubin District and between 480,000 and 500,000 kyats in Myaungmya and Pathein districts.

“The price of 500,000 kyats fixed by the government is not bad. But we are paid only just over 400,000 in Kyangin,” said farmer U Hlaing Kyi from Koe Taung Village in Hinthada District’s Kyangin Township. “The profit is quite small. If the government will buy paddy, I want them to show up, on the ground, soon after the harvest.”

The problem is partly due to measurement differences. The government has adjusted the size of one basket to equal 46 pounds. But rice merchants and millers are still using the previous basket size of 50 pounds. As a result of the discrepancy, farmers are forced to sell an extra 400 pounds of rice per 100 baskets for no additional pay.

The Irrawaddy was unable to obtain a comment from Ayeyarwady Regional Minister for Financing and Planning U Htay Win about the fact that the government has yet to purchase rice from the farmers.

“The Ayeyarwady regional government has held two meetings with us to buy rice when it falls below 500,000 kyats,” said Ayeyarwady Region Rice Millers Association Chairman U Soe Win. “We drafted plans for rice purchases and presented them to the government. The government said it would seek approval and budget from the Union government.”

Around 50 percent of Myanmar’s rice exports are shipped to China. Myanmar exported 3.58 million tons of rice during the 2017-18 fiscal year, the largest volume in 70 years, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Though the Myanmar government allows official rice exports to China, Chinese authorities consider most rice imports from Myanmar to be illegal but still allow rice merchants to bring rice across the border. After Chinese authorities launched a crackdown on illegal rice imports from Myanmar in 2018, Myanmar’s rice exports to its neighbor declined significantly, dropping by around 1 million tons.

Rice prices have so far continued the downward trend in the 2019-20 fiscal year due to low demand from China.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

#IRWLaborRights

You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Govt Backs Minimum Price for Rice Amid Weak Market

Myanmar Court Jails Farmers for Using Vacant Land

Your Thoughts …
Tags: AgricultureMyanmarRice
Salai Thant Zin

Salai Thant Zin

The Irrawaddy

Similar Picks:

Five-Star Casino Resort on Myanmar Tropical Island Runs Out of Luck
Burma

Five-Star Casino Resort on Myanmar Tropical Island Runs Out of Luck

by The Irrawaddy
February 6, 2024
19.1k

U Kyaw Lwin ran his casino resort on the visa-free island for more than 10 years before facing arrest in...

Read moreDetails
Myanmar Junta’s Central Bank Had $6.8 Bn in Reserves at 14 Int’l Banks in March
Myanmar’s Crisis & the World

Myanmar Junta’s Central Bank Had $6.8 Bn in Reserves at 14 Int’l Banks in March

by The Irrawaddy
August 21, 2023
18.9k

Singapore banks held 67% of the junta’s foreign reserves; in a bank document seen by The Irrawaddy, the junta praises...

Read moreDetails
UK Hits Myanmar Border Guard Force Colonel, Two Others, With Sanctions
Burma

UK Hits Myanmar Border Guard Force Colonel, Two Others, With Sanctions

by The Irrawaddy
December 9, 2023
10.7k

Saw Chit Thu and two others linked to a massive gambling project in Karen State were sanctioned over allegations of...

Read moreDetails
China and the Wars in Myanmar
Guest Column

China and the Wars in Myanmar

by Bertil Lintner
January 21, 2025
10.6k

Recent truces declared by ethnic armies show that China is still the only outside power that can intervene in Myanmar,...

Read moreDetails
Japan’s ‘Special Relationship’ With Myanmar Has Abetted Decades of Military Rule
From the Archive

Japan’s ‘Special Relationship’ With Myanmar Has Abetted Decades of Military Rule

by Bertil Lintner
May 17, 2024
16.5k

In light of EAO and NUG leaders’ recent talks in Tokyo, The Irrawaddy revisits a column from 2022 exploring Japan’s...

Read moreDetails
Book Review
Books

Book Review

by The Irrawaddy
August 17, 2024
6.9k

The Irrawaddy “Books” section offers you insightful reviews of volumes on a vast array of issues ranging from culture and...

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
U Whei Tin / Youth Voice Youth Manner / facebook

Indian Man Dies, Lawmaker Still Held After AA Abduction in Myanmar’s Rakhine State

Even a still body encompasses a moving quality.

Myanmar Artist Khit Bhone Mo’s Deft Touch With Death

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

China’s Two-Faced Diplomacy in Myanmar

China’s Two-Faced Diplomacy in Myanmar

5 days ago
2.4k
‘Indian Troops Killed Myanmar Resistance Fighters to Send a Message’

‘Indian Troops Killed Myanmar Resistance Fighters to Send a Message’

2 days ago
2.1k

Most Read

  • Dead or Alive: Min Aung Hlaing’s Final Gamble

    Dead or Alive: Min Aung Hlaing’s Final Gamble

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Adidas Shoe Factory Agrees to Striking Workers’ Demands

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • AA’s Political Wing Imposes Rakhine Travel Ban

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • ‘Indian Troops Killed Myanmar Resistance Fighters to Send a Message’

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • What Are the Possible Scenarios for the Junta’s Election Plan?

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.