Mango growers face hurdles posed by higher prices for inputs

20 May

 


Mango growers in Sagaing Region are now facing hurdles posed by an increase in prices for various inputs, such as fertilizer, insecticide and farming equipment.

 


U Kyaw Myint, a mango farmer from Depayinkwe Village, said, “Difficulties faced by mango growers include an increase in prices of fertilizer, insecticide and farming equipment. In addition, there are some difficulties in the roads used to send mangos to the market.”

 


He also said that in his view the village is in need of a sale centre where only growers who have been awarded Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certificates will sell their quality products. The plan is expected to receive more attention from the merchants for those products and encourage other local growers to grow crops under the GAP system.

 


In Sagaing Region, seven mango growers won the GAP certificates in 2017 for the first time. A total of 19 mango growers received GAP certificates in the following year and 14 mango growers were awarded GAP certificates this year.

 


In Depayinkwe Village alone, there are roughly 3,000 mango plantations run by about 300 farmers, and farmers estimated that approximately 10,000 mangos are likely to be harvested this season, he added.

 


Ko Hmway, another mango grower, said farmers receives a good price for mangos this season, especially in the export market.

 


However, they are also facing higher input prices. Currently, the prices of fertilizer, farm trucks and pumping machines are increasing in the market.

 


For the time being, a 15-kilo package of mango is priced at about K12,000 in the market. Last year, growers received only K10,000 per package, he said.—Win Oo, Myo Win Tun 

 


(Translated by Khaing Thanda Lwin)