Mawlamyine, September (7)
At the beginning of the rubber season, there is a severe labor shortage in Mon State due to the departure of the majority of workers for foreign countries after the military coup.
The rubber farms normally resume production in September, but this year they are struggling with a labor shortage.
Mon State is currently witnessing a labor shortage due to a lack of skilled workers for the rubber plantations and the exodus of former skilled workers to other countries as a result of rising commodity prices and food shortages.
Due to a labor crisis, farm owners are struggling to even tap rubber despite seeking to pay higher wages and hire skilled workers.
As a result of the military council’s restrictions on movement, its overnight guest checks, and night curfews, fewer locals from the Ayeyarwaddy and Bago regions now come to the rubber plantations to work.
According to a rubber farm owner, the lack of rubber workers may reduce the production of rubber latex, which could have an impact on output.
Some rubber growers noted that the business may be affected and small farms may be forced to close while the big rubber farms are unable to find skilled workers in the specified period.
On the other hand, farm owners are currently dealing with a situation where the cost of input products for the production of rubber, such as acid, fertilizer, and related materials, has increased by almost four times since the military takeover.
With 500,000 acres of rubber plantations, Mon State produces more than 100,000 tons of rubber annually and makes millions of dollars from this industry.
News – Than Lwin Times
