Local farmers in Yinmarbin District in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region are reportedly facing difficulties in their farming as the farm input costs are rising due to military operations being launched in their area, in addition to farm damage and crop losses.

The farmers in Yinmarbin District primarily grows onion, tomato, sunflower, chicken pea and sesame for their living but now they are facing rising costs of farm inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides and weed killers in this farming season. These essentials are selling at exorbitant prices.

Moreover, the military operations being launched in their local areas disrupted their farming and harvesting. The farmers could not harvest their crops in time because of these military offensives, which damaged their farming and crops. Local pro-junta militias have also damaged and disrupted farming activity.

A local farmer from Yinbaungtaing village in Yinmarbin said: “There were many farms damaged in last monsoon season as we could not harvest our groundnut farming during their military operations. Some of the farms in Pale Township were damaged by militia. The roads were closed during their military operations and then the costs of these farm inputs rose.”

The farmers could not grow their crops and harvest them in time – hence they lost money. Some of these farms were also damaged by heavy weapons including helicopter gunships sent by the Military Council.

These farmers mainly grow wheat, chick peas and sunflower in their farms in this season. The local farmers had to flee from their homes and farming frequently because of military operations launched by junta and clashes with local resistance forces. Farming has been severely disrupted in this dirt-poor region