UN warns Myanmar faces catastrophic hunger

The Irrawaddy

The United Nations has sounded the alarm over Myanmar’s worsening food crisis, warning that soaring fertiliser and fuel costs are pushing the country towards “catastrophic” levels of hunger.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says rice prices are set to climb further as farmers slash fertiliser use amid shortages and spiralling costs. A 50 per cent cut in fertiliser could reduce yields by up to 15 per cent, undermining already fragile markets.

Myanmar imports more than a million tonnes of fertiliser each year, with China supplying about half. But Beijing’s recent export restrictions have left farmers struggling to secure supplies. Official media claim subsidised fertiliser is being distributed in Naypyitaw, yet growers elsewhere report prices have surged from 90,000 to 150,000 kyats per bag.

For many, the economics no longer add up. “Ten bags of rice don’t even cover the cost of one bag of fertiliser,” lamented a farmer in the delta region, who saw his harvest collapse from 300 bags to just 130. Rising fuel prices have compounded the crisis, driving production costs to over a million kyats per acre.

The regime’s rationing of fuel since March has accelerated shortages, leaving tractor owners without clients and farmers questioning whether they can afford to plant at all. Some are considering abandoning commercial farming altogether, switching to subsistence just to survive.

Rice prices have already surged, with a bag of the staple Manaw Thukha variety jumping from 50,000 to 80,000 kyats. Daily‑wage labourers and low‑income households are among the hardest hit.

Since the 2021 coup, vast tracts of farmland have been abandoned due to fighting and displacement. Agricultural productivity has fallen by 16 per cent, according to UN figures, leaving more than 12 million people – a quarter of the population – facing acute hunger.

The WFP warns the crisis is nationwide, but rural and conflict‑affected areas are bearing the brunt. Without urgent intervention, Myanmar’s food insecurity could deepen into one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the region.

-2026-04-21