Because supply is limited due to rain damage, watermelon exports have increased and market activity is good in the Muse trading zone, according to farmers and merchants.
The Mandalay-Muse highway was reopened and is at times affected by the congestion. These days, fewer cars go into the Muse trading zone but the price for watermelons and melons has risen, is what U SaiKhin Maung -Secretary of the Muse Fruit Broker- told The Myanmar Times.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, Myanmar is trading watermelon with Southeast Asian countries, while melon is mostly exported to China. The rain at the beginning of January damaged some of the fruits and hence there will be a limited supply in Myanmar.
Ministry data suggests that there is some 600,000 acres of land cultivated with melons throughout the country. The difficulty for watermelon and melon farmers is the lack of access to purchase the right seeds.The government also needs to regulate foreigners leasing the farmlands in the country and growing fruits there, those farmers noted.
