Import ban on rice in Kyaukphyu town leads to rice scarcity
A rice shortage has hit Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State, after a military-imposed ban on rural rice transport. Locals report only military-linked individuals can sell rice—at inflated prices. Despite sufficient regional paddy production, rice from Yangon is dominating the market. Residents say military forces are seizing rice in villages, prompting displacement and the destruction of homes near army bases.
The rice import ban in Kyaukphyu town, Rakhine State, has resulted in a rice shortage, while at the same time, individuals connected to the military are allegedly procuring rice from Yangon and selling it at elevated prices.
A woman from Kyaukphyu stated, “Currently, rice cannot be transported from the countryside to the city anymore. We can no longer move from the outskirts to the city, or from the city to the villages. It is also challenging for everyday individuals, including those who work on a daily basis. Currently, only individuals connected to the military are offering the rice for sale. They are being sold at elevated prices. There are even individuals from grassroots movements who are in need.”
During the rainy season of (2021-2022) in Kyaukphyu district, encompassing Kyaukphyu, (162194) acres of paddy were sown, while (161495) acres were collected, yielding 57.95 baskets per acre, amounting to 9,358,000 baskets, which is adequate for the local population.
Nonetheless, the military council has firmly banned the entry of rice from rural areas into Kyaukphyu town, leading to a rice scarcity.
Residents reported that amid the current rice scarcity, essential food products can be readily acquired from rice vendors close to the military officers, who are selling them at inflated prices during this period of hardship.
A resident of the town remarked, “The navies brought rice and supplies from Yangon when they arrived in Kyaukphyu. The cronies and associates of the military are managing the businesses”.
“Currently, the only rice arriving in Kyaukphyu town is from Yangon, with none from rural villages. In the past, rice from the countryside was brought into Kyaukphyu without restrictions. Currently, it is not being imported anymore.”
Furthermore, he mentioned that a significant quantity of food brought in from Yangon is being kept in storage facilities at military base battalions.
According to local residents, a bag of rice (32 cans of condensed milk), which previously cost more than 10,000 kyats, is currently selling for about 40,000 to 50,000 kyats in Kyaukpyu.
Inhabitants of rice-farming communities within Kyaukpyu Township, specifically Thit Poke Taung and Gong Chwain village tracts, are also fleeing because of the combat, abandoning their collected rice in storage facilities (rice barns).
The military is seizing public rice found in villages near the bases, and subsequently, the villages are being destroyed by army troops.
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Source : BNI Online
