(IMNA: November 20, 2003)

Even though the State Peace and Development Council do not have a deliberate policy to buy rice, farmers are ordered to sell their rice at a low price.

Recently, the local authorities forced the traders who buy the paddy from farmers to form a Traders Association from township to the village levels.

According to sources, the Association also has to enforce the old regulation of buying paddy and the farmers have to sell the set amount of paddy depending upon how many acres of lands they farm.

Farmers thought the regime has reneged to implement the new plan to benefit them, but instead will confiscate paddy as it has done in the past.

The source reported the Myanmar Agriculture Products Trading (MAPT) avoids buying paddy from farmers as previous years and use Traders Association.

The Traders Associations were formed at the instruction of the MAPT and the authorities trained them how to collect paddy from the farmers. The authorities order the Associations how many tons to impose, farmers are restricted in transporting and husking of their crops, they are also required to meet a set quota.

The Association pays about Kyat 170,000 (US 170) for 100 baskets of paddy (about 4,600 lbs) and the authorities only allow traders from the Association to buy paddy from farmers in Mon State.

The normal price of paddy in the market is about Kyat 300,000 for 100 baskets. Members of the Associations have full rights to buy crops from farmers and they have to pay a Kyat 10, 000 for membership fee to the authorities.

In southern Ye Township, where the regime is unable to administer the area due to ambush attack by the guerrillas, military battalion forces farmers to give 4 baskets of paddy as a tax.