In Mon State, the betel nut prices have dropped by more than half.
A year ago, in February 2021, the price of dried betel nut had risen to a record high of 10,000 kyats per viss. Viss is a Burmese unit of measure for weight , approximately 1 Viss = 1.63293 kilograms or 3.6 pounds. However, since the third week of January this year, the price of dried betel nuts is now only 5,000 kyats per viss, according to one betel nut farmer.
“The price has come down. It has come down to around 5,000 kyats. At that price, it is not convenient for us. Once the labor costs are deducted, the rest of the costs are not enough,” he said.
The betel farmer added that the current political instability in the country has led to a sharp drop in demand from previous years.
Another business person said, “Currently, the situation is unstable and we do not dare to stay in the yard. There are times when the yard is abandoned and we do not get what we deserve.”
Betel nuts from Mon State are sold domestically and exported to India and Bangladesh.
