Burma Rescue

MYANMAR: High cost of fertiliser threatens harvest

Photo: Contributor/IRIN. Thousands of small-time paddy farmers, such as this one outside Labutta in cyclone-affected southern Myanmar, lost everything to Nargis

Photo: Lynn Maung/IRIN. Fertiliser for Myanmar's cyclone-affected paddy fields is now needed

DAYDAYE, 7 October 2008 (IRIN) - With many farmers in Myanmar's cyclone-affected areas unable to prepare their fields in time, many planted high yielding rice varieties (HYVs), which have a shorter growth period than traditional types.

HYVs generally take around three months to mature, and with this year's rice planting season over at end-July, farmers can expect to harvest in late October or early November.

Traditional rice takes longer than HYVs and is generally harvested in late November or December, depending on planting time.

However, according to specialists, only with the appropriate fertiliser use can farmers fully benefit from the potential of the high yielding varieties.

Traditional local rice varieties generally have a lower yield potential and are often grown without much fertiliser.

Fertiliser in the cyclone-affected rice farming areas of Myanmar costs around $21 per 50kg bag, but $15 in Yangon. Damaged roads have driven up transport costs.

In addition, local fertiliser dealers refuse to sell on credit, unconvinced they will be repaid.

Most paddy farmers apply fertiliser in two stages. Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) is normally applied in full as basal application during the final tillage operation at a rate of some 25kg per acre, while Urea and Muriate of Potash (MOP) applications are typically split. Fifty percent of Urea and MOP is usually made as basal application with the remainder applied as top dressing.

In an effort to help cyclone-affected farmers, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has distributed close to 2 million kg of fertiliser to cyclone-affected farmers through their implementing partners, including Welthungerhilfe (German Agro Action), Cooperation e Sviluppo (CESVI), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and International Development Enterprise.

Each beneficiary household was to receive a fertiliser kit consisting of 100kg of Urea, 50kg of TSP and 25kg of MOP.

FAO says that more than 10,000 households have been helped with its fertiliser and seed programmes but that donor funding is low.

"The agriculture sector continues to be the least funded among all sectors that are part of the overall response to Cyclone Nargis," Rene Suter, the FAO's head of the emergency and rehabilitation coordination unit in Yangon, told IRIN.

"In order to rapidly restore food security and rebuild shattered livelihoods, much greater donor support is urgently required," the official said.