Rising Fuel Costs Hit Karenni Farmers

Surging fuel prices in conflict-affected eastern Myanmar have driven up the cost of mechanized rice harvesting, forcing smallholder farmers in Karenni (Kayah) State's Nan Meh Khon Township to slash crop acreage and forgo essential fertilizers. Farmers currently harvesting paddy planted in April report that fees for hiring harvesting machines have escalated to between 270,000 and 300,000 Myanmar Kyat (MMK) per acre. "When fuel prices go up, harvesting fees follow," said one local farmer, whose nephew recently paid 300,000 MMK to harvest his field. "I cultivated four acres last year, but because of rising costs, I could only manage one acre this year." The steep rise in operational expenses has forced growers to make severe trade-offs. "Our budget was meant for both fuel and fertilizer," another farmer explained. "After paying for fuel, there’s nothing left for fertilizer." To cover upfront machinery fees, many cash-strapped farmers are taking on high-interest debt. In western Demawso Township and Nan Meh Khon, gasoline has reached approximately 44,000 MMK per gallon, while diesel sells for around 36,000 MMK per gallon—with local vendors warning that prices could continue to climb. Paddy cultivation in Nan Meh Khon serves as a vital source of local food security and income. As farmers attempt to complete their current harvest while simultaneously preparing for monsoon planting, unchecked inflation threatens to deepen rural hardship across the region.