Myanmar tomato prices halved: Inle farmers lose all their money and face debt crisis

Inle area farmers are facing significant financial losses due to a sharp decrease in tomato prices, which fell from 700-1,000 kyats per tak in early January 2025 to 400-500 kyats per tak by the end of February. This decline, coupled with a surge in the prices of dry goods and other necessities, is increasing the cost of living for local residents. The area is also grappling with fuel shortages, transportation issues, and a drinking water shortage during the transition from the cold to the hot season. The water quality has deteriorated, leading to health concerns such as diarrhea and skin itching, particularly among children and pregnant women, due to unclean water and poor hygiene conditions. The Red Cross has stepped in to provide health education and medication, but more comprehensive solutions are needed to address these challenges.

A local woman who grows tomatoes told the media that in early January 2025, the price of one tak (about 1.6 kg) of tomatoes produced in Inle area of Nyaung Shwe Township was between 700 and 1,000 kyats, but by the end of February, the price had fallen to 400 to 500 kyats per tak, causing farmers to lose money. She said that despite the decline in the prices of tomatoes and other seasonal vegetables, the prices of food such as dry goods have risen sharply, leading to an increase in the cost of living. She said, "The price of tomatoes has been sluggish since the floods broke out, and even if it has rebounded, it has not reached 1,000 kyats. Last month, the price rebounded to around 900 kyats, but this month it fell to 400 to 500 kyats, and even the cost could not be recovered. The price of dry goods is also rising. Now the cost of growing vegetables is borrowed, and we cannot recover the cost, and we don’t know how to repay the debt. Spraying pesticides is also bad for health." ...