Burmese army, low prices and climate change cause hardship for cashew growers

April 7, 2009

HURFOM, Yebyu Township:
Cashew trees in Tenasserim Division have been producing fewer nuts this year, which has meant a reduced harvest for growers. This is partly due to the Burmese military who have been preventing Mon villagers from leaving their villages to work on their farms because of increased activity in the area by the armed Mon rebel group, Chan Dein. Another factor is the much thicker frost settling in the winter, a possible effect of climate change.

As the result, most growers have produced less than fifty percent of the harvest compared to last year and face financial hardship, according to locals.

One cashew grower from Yapu village, Yebyu Township said, “last year we could pick 200 viss (75 viss = 1 kilo) of mature nuts in a day but this year we can only pick 80 viss a day. The Burmese military has often prevented us going out of the village, so we cannot take care of our farms very well and the climate was also very bad. ”

Unusually, the price of cashews has dropped concurrently with the poor harvest. Last year cashews were fetching 1500 Kyat per viss but now prices range from 500 Kyat in the Yapu area and 800 Kyat in Ye Township.

The combination of poor harvest and low price has meant growers cannot afford to hire as many workers to collect the nuts as before. The cost of hiring a worker is 350 Kyat per viss collected and in previous years growers could make a reasonable profit. This year however there is not enough profit involved to take on the same number of workers and many growers are collecting the nuts themselves.

A grower from Kyauk Kadin village said, “We can’t hire the workers so we’re doing the work ourselves. Because there are less people we sometimes can’t collect all the mature nuts in a day and so they’re left for people to steal. We’re facing many difficulties because of the low production and the low prices.”

Workers need to be hired to clear the cashew plantations twice in each year’s rainy season at a cost of 5000 Kyat per day or 25,000 per acre. This process is necessary and the costs, added to the other factors, have further reduced the growers’ profits and some have even made a loss.

In Ye Phyu Township some growers had received an advance payment from wholesalers but did not have enough produce to meet orders and so had to return some of the payment. Additionally, growers have to pay tax to both the armed Mon rebel group, Chan Dein and to the Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC).

Due to the reduction in demand for workers on cashew plantations, many of those previously hired have been facing difficulties obtaining alternative income. Some have migrated with their families to Thailand and others have resorted to stealing to feed themselves and their dependants.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News