Trade in dried areca nuts from Ye Township has been temporarily suspended due to transportation delays and tightened security measures along the Thanbyuzayat–Ye section of the No. 8 Union Highway in Mon State, local traders said.
Buyers have halted purchases of dried areca nuts produced in the Ye area as inspections along the Thanbyuzayat–Ye road have intensified in recent days, according to merchants.
Traders reported that trucks transporting local agricultural products are being subjected to thorough searches, including unloading goods for inspection. Vehicles have also been held at checkpoints for several days, while checkpoint fees have reportedly increased.
As a result, both supply and demand in the dried areca nut market have declined.
“At some checkpoints, we have to pay hundreds of thousands of kyats. Inspections are strict, and sometimes sacks of areca nuts are opened and emptied for checks. Previously, shipments took about two days to arrive, but now it can take up to five days,” said an areca nut farmer from Ye Township.
Despite carrying travel permits and related documents, traders said they continue to face strict inspections.
Large volumes of dried areca nuts are currently stockpiled at buying centers in Ye town, with prices standing at around 10,000 kyats per viss. Even high-quality nuts fetch only about 10,500 kyats per viss, significantly lower than last year’s peak of approximately 18,000 kyats per viss, according to traders.
“There are very few buyers now, so stocks are piling up. With prices this low, neither sellers nor buyers are active in the market,” said a buying center operator in Ye.
Market activity is unlikely to resume before the Thingyan festival, traders said, adding that sales can only restart once transportation conditions improve and goods can move more freely.
The Ye–Thanbyuzayat road section, where revolutionary forces maintain control, reportedly has at least eight checkpoints. Inspections have been tightened amid ongoing clashes between the military junta and joint revolutionary forces, which have occasionally carried out ambushes on junta columns.
Due to the unstable security situation, traffic along the route has declined and the flow of goods remains disrupted.
On February 10, two trucks carrying dried areca nuts were reportedly seized by junta forces at a bridge checkpoint in Zawea town, Tanintharyi Township, further discouraging buyers, according to local traders.
