Displaced Arakan farmers sell plow oxen as conflict and blockades disrupt livelihoods

By Admin 15 Jun 2026

DMG Newsroom

15 June 2026, Kyaukphyu

Displaced farming families from Kyaukphyu Township are being forced to sell their plow oxen at reduced prices as ongoing conflict and military blockades prevent them from returning to their farms and resuming cultivation, local sources said.

The distress sales have affected many farming households across Arakan State who have remained displaced for more than a year. Lack of grazing land, security concerns, and rising living costs have left many families unable to keep their livestock.

"My entire life has been built around farming with these animals," a displaced woman from Kularbar Village said. "We never wanted to sell them, but with no access to grazing land and our farms cut off by the conflict, we had no other choice."

Residents from more than 40 villages in Kyaukphyu Township fled their homes with their livestock when fighting intensified. Many hoped they would be able to return and resume farming once conditions improved.

However, prolonged displacement and repeated relocations have made it increasingly difficult for families to care for their animals.

"We spent three days driving our cattle on foot when we fled because we believed they would help us rebuild our lives when we returned home," a displaced farmer from Thaingchaung Village said. "But as the fighting continued and we had to move from place to place, we eventually had to sell them at very low prices."

Local residents said many of the cattle are being bought by traders who transport them to northern Arakan State and areas near the Bangladesh border.

The large number of animals being sold has caused prices to fall sharply. Farmers said a healthy plow ox that previously sold for around K2 million is now being sold for about half that amount.

Aid workers warned that the loss of draft cattle could create long-term challenges for agricultural recovery and food security once displaced families are able to return home.

"For farming families, livestock are both an income source and an essential farming asset," a local volunteer said. "Without oxen, it will be difficult for them to restart agricultural activities even after the conflict ends."

Fighting in Kyaukphyu Township has continued since February 2025, displacing more than 60,000 people from over 40 villages, according to local monitoring groups.

The groups also reported that artillery shelling and airstrikes have killed at least 170 civilians in the township over the past year, including many displaced people.

Recent reports indicate that clashes have intensified near the Taung Maw Gyi naval station, where Arakan Army (AA) forces are reportedly operating within one mile of the junta naval station.