By Hanthar Hein - Jun 14, 2024

As there is a shortage of agricultural workers, agriculture employers are hiring workers with raised creased wages by three times compared to the previous season. 

It is said that even though the labor force has been increased, it has not been able to recruit as many agricultural workers as needed, so some have to be recruited from other regions.

Due to the high price of domestic goods and the military service law enacted by the Junta, many young adults are leaving abroad.

These conditions are also affecting the domestic agriculture sector, and they are facing the effects of labor shortage.

"The daily wage was only 8,000 kyats before but now I have to pay more than 20,000 kyats. However, the number of workers and farmers in the township I live in is not enough, so I have to hire workers from other regions to stay in the village. If I there are not rented machines, the demand for workers will be higher," said a farmer from Magway Region.

A farm owner in the Irrawaddy region said that in addition to increasing the wages of agricultural workers, wages have to be paid in advance even before the planting season in some areas.

"'In our region, we had to pay the workers in advance before they planted the fields. Otherwise, if we were to look for workers only if we start working on the fields, we would not be able to find people anymore, so many farm owners give the wages in advance," said one of the farm owners.

It is said that the farmers will be comfortable only if they higher selling price than the previous year if the crop is ready. This is because the cost of labor and other expenses are higher in this year.

A farmer from Irrawaddy said, "The cost of labor, machinery, fertilizer, seeds, and all other farming costs have increase in this year. farmers will be comfortable only if they higher selling price than the previous year. If not, the farmers would show loss," said a farmer from the Irrawaddy region.