By: Camp Correspondent
Maungdaw, 27 June 2025 | Farmers in Maungdaw Township, northern Rakhine State, are facing unprecedented challenges as the cost of ploughing land has skyrocketed, driven by conflict-related displacement, labor shortages, and soaring fuel prices. As a result, rice cultivation has dropped sharply, raising concerns over local food security.
Once a hub of agricultural activity, Maungdaw’s farmland now lies partially abandoned. The farming population has significantly declined, particularly among the Rohingya, who fled to Bangladesh, and other ethnic communities who relocated to central Myanmar cities like Yangon.
“There are not enough people left to work on farms,” a Rohingya farmer told Rohingya Khobor. “Most of our neighbors have fled, and now we can’t even find enough workers to help plough the land.”
The cost of ploughing one acre of farmland has risen to 300,000 kyats, compared to around 200,000 kyats last year. Farmers attribute this sharp increase to:
- Severe labor shortages
- A lack of functional tractors and machinery
- Dramatically rising fuel prices, with one liter now costing 10,000 kyats, up from 3,000 kyats last year
“Last year I cultivated three acres,” another Rohingya farmer shared. “This year, I can only afford one. We don’t know how we’ll feed our families.”
Access to agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, fuel, and basic equipment has also become limited in areas under Arakan Army control, making it even harder for farmers to sustain crop production. Ongoing instability, restricted movement, and market disruption have compounded the problem.
Local observers warn that if this trend continues, rice yields across northern Rakhine could collapse, pushing already vulnerable communities closer to food insecurity.
With conflict and displacement still unfolding, the future of agriculture in Maungdaw, and the livelihoods that depend on it, remains dangerously uncertain.
