Chinese back Tissue-Culture Banana plantations commonly are being re-grown in Kachin State, says unidentified official from Kachin State’s Crop Grower Association.
After China alternately closed and opened the border gates since the beginning of early 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic, all border gates were closed nearly a year of 2021. So, the number of tissue banana plantations decreased by over half. In 2022 and 2023, the border gates normally re-opened. Therefore, the dealing of tissue culture banana had been boosted. Currently, Chinese back tissue bananas will be grown normally in Kachin State, according to the Chairman of Kachin State’s Crop Growers Association.
“In Kachin State, there has been boom in Banana market. We have a plan to grow tissue-culture banana at the place of old plantations. As for banana growers, they can face a great expense of tissue banana plantations. Moreover, they pay a tax to the government for tissue- culture banana plantations. In this year, there is no dispute over growing of tissue bananas,” said the Chairman.
“The government collected about Ks700,000 per a banana car coming from Waingmaw and Hpa-kant Townships. And then, we spent about 0.1 million kyats on security gates located on the road and ethnic armed groups. As the ethnic armed groups already increased in taxation, we faced difficulties and then there were a lot of security gates on the road,” said a person who owned the vehicles that carry the tissue-culture banana in Myitgyina and Waingmaw Townships.
Although the cash is convenient for owner and workers, all classes are now suffering from a surge in commodities prices. So, the current situation is hard up for general workers, says an unidentified village administrator.
He also said that in the past, Myanmar kyats 100,000 was equal to over 400 Chinese Yuan. Now, under 250 Yuan is equal to Ks 100,000. Likewise, the price of a rice bag was Ks 40,000 in the past. Now, a rice bag is over 100,000 kyats. However, the labour charge is Ks 6,000 per day for a person. As the fighting occurred in Sagaing Region, the Kachin State is full of workers.
In Kachin State, the tissue-culture banana is being grown in Myitgyina, Waingmaw, Moemauk, Shwegu and Bahmaw Townships.
According to the latest record from social organizations, there are about 150,000 acres of tissue-culture banana plantations in Kachin State.
