Myanmar farmers hit as Iran conflict deepens crisis

In western Myanmar, rice farmer Maung Nu Sein is facing a grim calculation. Fuel to plough his fields and fertiliser to nourish his crops are stuck 2,000 miles away, blocked by Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Already battered by five years of civil war, Myanmar’s farmers now find themselves squeezed by a distant conflict that has sent costs soaring and supplies dwindling.

The coup of 2021 plunged the country into turmoil, displacing millions and wrecking the economy. Farmers in Rakhine state were struggling with low rice prices and military blockades long before the Middle East crisis. But the closure of one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes has compounded their misery. Myanmar imports 90% of its fuel and almost all fertiliser, much of it routed through Hormuz. Without it, rice yields are collapsing.

The World Food Programme warns that the timing could not be worse. Fertiliser demand peaks as planting season begins, yet prices have spiralled beyond reach. Ploughing a field that once cost $24 in fuel now costs nearly $500. “The rice we sell does not even cover the cost of fuel,” says Maung Nu Sein, who has halved the land he cultivates.

The human toll is stark. Families are eating half‑meals, pawning property, and begging on the streets. In makeshift camps, displaced mothers grind chilli to eat with rice, while newborns go hungry for lack of milk. The WFP estimates 12.5 million people in Myanmar are already food insecure, and warns of famine‑like conditions if supplies do not resume.

Even in Yangon, far from the front lines, daily costs have doubled. Tailors cannot afford fabric, parents struggle with school fees, and basic staples have risen by more than 20% since the Iran war began.

Experts caution that the crisis could ripple across Asia, denting rice production at a time when El Niño threatens hotter, drier conditions. For Myanmar, the convergence of civil war and global conflict is devastating. “This war is increasingly choking us,” says Maung Nu Sein. “If we don’t do the farming, who will feed us?”

-2026-05-17