Myanmar Farmers Struggle as Monsoon Floods Devastate Crops

The Irrawaddy

Farmers across Myanmar’s central regions are facing ruin as relentless monsoon rains flood thousands of acres of sesame and bean crops, with little hope of government assistance.

Heavy downpours, triggered by a May storm in neighbouring Bangladesh, have battered Chin, Rakhine, Sagaing, and Magwe, damaging early harvests just as the planting season was underway. In some areas, rainfall has continued for more than ten days without pause.

In Sagaing’s Khin-U Township, one farmer told The Irrawaddy, “It has been raining continuously for weeks, severely impacting the mung bean harvest. Damaged beans are sold cheaply, and drying them costs extra.” A 32kg sack of mung beans has dropped by roughly US$13 in value—critical for farmers already stretched thin by high input costs.

In neighbouring Magwe, nearly 2,000 acres of sesame fields in Minbu District have been submerged. With sesame seed prices now climbing, most farmers can’t afford to replant. “Some tried pumping water out, hoping to save the crops,” said one local resident. “But it kept raining. The pumping only added to their costs.”

Farmers say growing sesame now costs close to one million kyats (about US$435) per acre, while mung beans and pulses cost around 600,000 kyats to cultivate. The early harvest usually brings the highest yield; missing it can mean financial disaster.

Experts blame worsening flood impacts on years of environmental mismanagement. The Irrawaddy River, once a natural drainage lifeline, is now struggling to carry away floodwaters due to poor land and water use policies.

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s military government has remained silent. State media has yet to report on the damage in Minbu, and locals doubt relief is coming—especially as Magwe remains a heartland of resistance to junta rule.

Last year, Myanmar’s agricultural sector suffered staggering losses, with floods destroying over 760,000 acres of crops and killing more than 100,000 livestock. This year’s toll is rising fast—and for many rural families, survival is now a daily struggle.

-2025-06-06