New paddy strain yields more tests less

New paddy strain yields more tastes less

Human Rights

Hundreds of new arrivals in Thailand spoke of a new paddy species introduced last year by the Burma Army that was one of the reasons for their self-imposed exile, said a Shan social worker in Chiangmai known to many social activities. 

Unlike Shan species, the sprouts are not transplanted in clumps of 7-8 saplings, but separately. According to the sources, it also yields more. "A field normally producing 3 langs (1 lang = 4 baskets) of native paddy will produce about 5 langs," he quoted sources as saying. 

The problem is that it is so tasteless and stiff, nobody, not even the Burma Army that has been enforcing its cultivation, wants to buy it back from the farmers. 

"You put in 10 cans of water for one can of the rice and it is still somewhat unyielding," a refugee recounted. "Moreover, if there are any leftovers, they are better thrown out, because however much you try to soften them by steaming or otherwise, they'll remain uncooperative." 

The last straw was when it was announced in mid-January that all farmers in southern townships must set aside one-third of their fields for the foreign strain. "What is the point if there is no one either to eat or buy it?" complained a woman farmer. 

Already compounded by other problems as reported by S.H.A.N. on 20 February, Burma Army setting the space for more exiles, the farmers decided to leave. "Leaving is hard," said one, "but staying is harder." 

It was however not possible for S.H.A.N. to find out from the refugees what the new paddy species was called. "Nobody told us what it's name was," said a former village headman from Kehsi. "So we call it Khao-Ton-leao (the lone plant paddy)". 

A reporter from Shan Human Rights Foundation suggested that it could be Hsin Shweli, the strain that has been sold to the northern farmers since 2002 and has resulted in similar problems. "We have a report here that Hsin Shweli was grown in Kengtung (eastern Shan State) last year," he said. 

Hsin shweli in northern Shan State is a new strain imported from China. It is part of the New Destiny project initiated by Rangoon to encourage farmers to exchange their poppy seeds for rice. But some paddy farmers claim the project has instead forced them to depend on poppy cultivation in order to cover the loss incurred by Hsin Shweli.