Pajau Media
10th February, 2025
Local sugarcane cultivators in Kachin State and adjacent to the China border report that, despite the absence of a domestic market for their sugarcane, they are solely exporting it to neighboring China.
A sugarcane farmer explained that the export of sugarcane to China is primarily due to challenging transportation conditions, the closure of roads, and difficulties in trading with other regions. Furthermore, the proximity of China makes it a more viable destination for their sugarcane exports.
In the previous years, the price of sugarcane reached as high as 450 Chinese yuan per ton. However, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the price has stabilized at 350 yuan per ton, with no indications of any increase beyond this level to date.
Residents are experiencing significant hardships and financial losses as they are compelled to sell sugarcane to Chinese firms at unfair prices. Additionally, they are incurring expenses amounting to 80 Chinese yuan for costs associated with the plantation and for transporting a truckload of sugarcane to China for export, which exceeds 40,000 Myanmar kyats.
Sugarcane farmers reported that they had sent a letter to Chinese companies purchasing sugarcane in 2024, in which they addressed the possibility of increasing the price of sugarcane; however, no price adjustment was granted.
Over the past decade, the primary source of income for the majority of individuals in the border region has been employment on sugarcane plantations, with the harvesting period occurring from December to March.
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