In Shardaw (Somo Preh Soe Leh) Township, Karenni State, residents who were affected by flooding are struggling to afford corn seeds for the upcoming planting season, according to corn farmers from Pon Chaung village.

Due to the flood damage, many crops were destroyed, and farmers were unable to recover any capital investment this year.

While sesame and pigeon pea seeds are easier to access, there are financial difficulties when it comes to purchasing corn seeds.

“There are sesame seeds available, and we have pigeon peas too. But what we really need are corn seeds. It’s those who want to grow corn that are in need,” said a male resident from Pon Chaung village.

Back in September 2024, floods destroyed all the crops grown by residents in Pon Chaung, including sesame, corn, and pigeon peas, leaving them in urgent need of seeds for the upcoming season.

“Some people with money have been able to buy seeds. But for those who are in financial difficulty, they still don’t know what they’re going to do,” the local resident added.

Pon Chaung village has over 60 households, and more than half of them are corn growers. In March this year, a sack of NK 625 hybrid corn seeds cost over 200,000 kyats, according to corn farmers from southern Shan State.

“I lost all 6 acres of sesame and 4 acres of corn. Even my farm hut was washed away. Here, we only grow a bit of sesame and a bit of corn. Rice doesn’t grow well in this area,” said another male local resident.

Due to the 2024 flood, nearly 200 homes across four villages near Pon Chaung were damaged. The affected villages are Pon Chaung, Su Phae Law, Naw Palu, and Thae Lel village. In addition to the destruction of homes, over 823 acres of crops, including rice, sesame, and corn, were also destroyed.