Farmers in Mon State are increasingly processing seasonal crops into finished products instead of selling them directly to markets, as profits from fresh produce continue to decline, according to local farmers.
Seasonal fruits from Ye Township, including mangoes, pomelos, durians, pineapples, and other locally grown produce, can still fetch good prices. However, rising costs for fertilizer, labor, and transportation have significantly reduced farmers’ profits.
As a result, farmers have increasingly turned to processing local crops through drying, preservation, and improved packaging methods before selling them to the market, a local farmer said.
“Production costs are very high. A bag of fertilizer alone costs more than 100,000 kyats. In some cases, farmers cannot even cover transportation expenses. Hiring a small truck from Ye to Mawlamyine costs more than 300,000 kyats. The returns simply do not match the investment,” a fruit farmer from Mon State said.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers had begun processing seasonal fruits into value-added products to reduce post-harvest losses.
The farmer added that products such as mango jam, pineapple jam, durian jam, fruit juices, and dried fruits are now being sold more widely in tourist destinations, including Kyaikkhami and Setse beaches, as well as other busy travel areas.
“When we sell fresh fruit, prices drop during the harvest season. Processed products such as jams can be stored and sold throughout the year. However, producing them requires more effort,” a local resident said.
Agriculture and food production experts said converting crops into value-added products can help reduce the impact of market price fluctuations and improve farmers’ incomes.
However, business operators noted that access to electricity, machinery, technology, investment capital, and market connections remains limited, making such production methods difficult for many farmers to adopt.
Despite these challenges, interest in producing finished products is growing among farmers whose incomes have been affected by falling fruit prices, as it offers a potential way to increase earnings.
According to economic observers, nearly all products from Mon State are still sold as raw materials, resulting in very low profit margins. They noted that this business model is becoming increasingly unsustainable under current economic conditions.
