YANGON: In Kachin State, the 2024 rainy season brought record-breaking floods along the Ayeyarwady River, leaving behind thick layers of silt but failing to produce crops, according to local farmers.
Villages along the river saw extensive deposits of silt. However, farmers reported poor yields, with many struggling to recover their investment.
A resident of Talawgyi described the situation: “The number of people working in the fields has decreased, and there isn’t enough labour. Those who do work have to deal with silt that has risen by almost a foot. The water has dried up, and crops are not growing well. The land no longer resembles what it used to be. The silt that remains isn’t typical peat or topsoil. It looks like gold and silver washed down from upstream.”
A farmer in Myitkyina reported even thicker silt deposits: “In my yard, the silt is about two feet deep. When I plant, the crops dry up and die after about a month. Those that survive don’t grow properly.”
An official from the Kachin State Township Agriculture Department suggested that excessive silt, mixed with non-silt soil, sand, and other minerals, may be responsible for the poor crop growth. They also noted that gold and other minerals are being mined upstream, which could be affecting the soil composition.
The flooding was severe, with the water level in Myitkyina reaching 1,200 cm on the evening of June 30 and rising to 1,406 cm by midnight on July 1. Historically, the Ayeyarwady River has seen similar levels, peaking at 1,407 cm in 2004, 1,411 cm in 1997, and 1,413 cm in 1979.
As the floodwaters recede, farmers in Kachin State now face the challenge of restoring their land and livelihoods in the aftermath of this unprecedented disaster. - Eleven Media/ANN
