Another worker said a food shortage is a “real possibility”, with the entire system at risk of coming to a standstill if diesel cannot reach the region.
Small-scale rice millers, used by farmers to process rice for their own consumption, are also struggling to stay open as fuel costs rise.
Years of mechanisation have further limited farmers’ options, as many no longer keep cattle or buffalo for manual fieldwork.
LONG QUEUES AT PETROL STATIONS
The fuel crisis is also taking a toll in cities, where daily life has become increasingly difficult.
In the country’s largest city Yangon, motorists now have to queue for up to six hours for fuel.
In some towns and cities, some petrol stations have reportedly run dry entirely, forcing many to turn to unofficial sources.
Fuel is believed to be entering the black market through two main channels: Motorists reselling subsidised fuel for profit, and misappropriation from allocated quotas.
Meanwhile in Mandalay, residents still recovering from a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake last year are facing renewed economic pressure.
“The main problem is the cost of living. We were already struggling after the earthquake with the added cost of repairing our homes. One year after the quake, businesses were starting to recover,” said a taxi driver in Mandalay.
“But now, with this fuel crisis, we are facing a huge struggle just to survive. Everything is connected – higher prices, shortage of goods and the lack of fuel,” he added.
Some fishermen have stopped working entirely, as fuel is either unavailable or too pricey to make going out to sea worthwhile.
One told CNA he could manage in the past when he worked for himself, but cannot earn enough to survive now that he is a daily wage worker.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/myanmar-fuel-shortage-crisis-black-market-concerns-food-security-crops-6086021
