The rubber production has declined by at least one-third in Mon State since the military took over because growers cannot afford to apply fertilizers as well as it is a time of leaf-dropping season, the rubber farmers said.

Rubber growers are experiencing the impacts of a nearly fourfold increase in the prices of related items, including fertilizer, wages, and general costs.

The military council’s night curfew, however, is making it difficult for rubber growers to collect latex, and they sometimes have to stop work because of gunfire.

According to the owner of a rubber farm, he is working hard to keep the business running as the yield of rubber continues to decline.

Furthermore, because of insufficient fertilizer, the rubber yield was nearly 25% lower than the previous year at the start of the season, and most farmers can’t survive during the leaf-dropping season when the yield is low.

At the beginning of the rubber season, the price of Local 3 rubber sheet was around 1800 kyats per pound, but now the price has dropped to almost 1200 kyats per pound.

Although there is a huge demand for rubber from China and Thailand, the price is low, so the rubber farmers will eventually sell at the lowest price, which will result in their losing money as the price of rubber continues to decline.

Mon State has more than 500,000 acres of rubber cultivation, producing more than 100,000 tons of rubber every year, earning millions of US dollars from it.

However, Mon State’s rubber sector is suffering the consequences of the military coup just like other industries.