Myanmar farmers seek aid after floods

YANGON: Farmers in flood-hit Myanmar face a scramble to replant damaged paddy fields in the next two weeks to avoid food shortages, and aid efforts in some of the country’s hardest hit areas remain a challenge, the United Nations said.

More than 1.3 million people have been critically affected and at least 106 people have died since heavy monsoon rains coupled with a cyclone last month caused floods across the country, according to the government.

Water has receded in many areas, allowing farmers to assess the damage and also to seed stocks as the end of planting season nears.

“If farmers aren’t able to get rice seeds and plant in the next two weeks the window for the next season is pretty much over,” said Pierre Peron, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humani­tarian Affairs in Myanmar.

“If they are not able to replant they will miss out completely on this season and the impact on food security will be much larger than if we can provide them with support to replant.” Myanmar is a rice exporter, but has halted exports to stabilise prices.

Over 566,560ha of paddy fields were flooded, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. — Reuters