Floods, extortion and labor shortages force farmers in southern Shan State to abandon fields
Farmers in southern Shan State report that repeated floods, labor outflow, rising costs and mandatory payments to armed groups are pushing them to leave paddy land uncultivated.
In the Pong Inn area of southern Shan State, March is usually the start of preparations for summer paddy cultivation. In 2026, however, that seasonal cycle has largely stalled. Instead of preparing fields, many households are leaving land idle. Local farmers describe a compound crisis driven by flood damage, lack of planting capital, severe labor shortages and continued mandatory payments imposed by armed actors.
According to locally compiled village-level data cited in the report, more than 3,000 acres across communities such as Pin Lonn, Nawng Hzang and Hseng Lel have already been ruined or left uncultivated. The Pong Inn zone, located at the crossroads of Taunggyi, Hopong and Hsihseng townships and known for Nawng Morn Shan rice, has faced repeated shocks. Farmers said floods destroyed more than 7,000 acres of paddy land in 2024 and another 3,000 acres in 2025.
Those losses were followed by silted irrigation channels, heavy weed growth and field conditions that in some places are difficult even for tractors to handle. Producers said that after two consecutive seasons with poor returns, many no longer have working capital to restart production. At the same time, migration to Thailand has accelerated since the 2021 coup, while conflict, economic stress and conscription pressures have further reduced the available workforce.
With fewer workers remaining, labor costs have risen sharply. Farmers said women’s daily wages have climbed to about 15,000-20,000 kyats, and some piece-rate work now reaches nearly 40,000 kyats per day. Higher diesel costs and fuel shortages have also raised mechanization expenses. Producers additionally pointed to weak price protection for crops, contrasting local conditions with neighboring Thailand, where rice support mechanisms are more common.
Households also face recurrent compulsory payments despite crop losses. Residents said families are still required to pay 40,000 kyats per month to the military council, while the PNO militia reportedly collects 10,000-25,000 kyats every six months plus additional local levies. Farmers warn that without practical relief, infrastructure recovery and more stable production economics, depopulation will continue and more farmland will remain out of use.