Winter crops from Kalemyo, Sagaing division in upper Burma are being sold by cultivators in Mizoram State of Northeastern India due to falling prices in their own region this year.

A Kalemyo local said that winter crops produced by poor people in these areas are sold to buy rice for their family sustenance. They are not selling locally because of falling prices.

“We sold Labab bean at Kyat 7000 per tin last year, but local consumers want to buy it at only Kyat 2000 per tin this year. Whole sellers do not buy our bean because of a lack of consumers in the area and falling prices,” said a local.

All other goods are selling at high prices. The price of chicken has gone up in the area and local people concentrate on buying rice for their family. But the cultivators do not want to waste their produce by selling it at low prices.

“We pay carrying charges of Kyat 1000 per tin from Kalemyo to the Indo-Burma border. The immigration department of the junta collects Kyat 1000 per tin as cross border fees. We also pay tax to Mizoram authorities but it is lower,” said a bean seller.

Burmese bean cultivators prefer to sell their produce in Mizoram because it sells for Rs. 50 a cup and there are 45 cups per tin, so they can earn Rs. 2250 per tin in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.

Bean production rate is high in winter this year in Kalemyo and Labab beans and peas of three lakhs tins were produced. Some bean cultivators are selling at Kyat 200 per cup in the area. But bean producers cannot sell tin by tin in Kalemyo.

“We can sell cup by a cup in local areas, but it is a very small amount, so we prefer to carry and sell it in Mizoram,” said a Letpanchaung villager.