The 1980s station wagon trundled through the sun-scorched dirt road with peeled off asphalt. Whitish specks of dusts were floating inside the car. The sun was high on the horizon. The narrow road ended by a river where an 18 feet long boat roared its engine, taking us to cruise along a tributary of the mighty Irrawaddy. In half an hour, the boat pulled over into a small jetty under a big sassy tree. A short walk into a riverside village took us to a smaller boat by a narrow creek. The boatman had to push the two-feet wide boat with six people in it because the water level. A flock of ducks paddled quickly when the boat moved slowly forward. Several makeshift huts scattered along the creeks, as well as small duck farms. Green paddy fields spread as far as eyes could see on the plains of Irrawaddy.

“Image of the Crocodile” was the direct English translation of Michaungyoke, the village where our small boat docked by its jetty below a new concrete bridge. “But there is no crocodile here!” A villager assured us.

Cyclone Nargis was last year phenomenon, but the villagers of Michaungyoke could recall in details of what has happened during the two fateful days. Although the village did not suffer from a great number of casualties, most houses were flattened and swept by the wind and rain. Clean water supply was the first challenge they had for a week after the disaster since fresh water turned smelly.

“We came together as one and started to help each other rebuilding houses, the bridge, the school and the monastery,” said the head of the village, “anybody donated a little something.” He quickly added. Approximately three hours drive from Yangon and another 90 minutes by boat trips, the village was referred as the most affected village in Maubin town. CWS Partner was the first to arrive and provide relief and recovery assistance.

When the essential needs of basic shelter, clean water and food were available, frustration crept slowly among many farmers. Their biggest fear was not being able to cultivate dry season paddy after having lost all of their capitals. Despite the farm recovery assistance that CWS partner provided for the past monsoon cultivation season, most of the farmers could only secure a meager amount of capital from the harvest. They were torn between having to survive by cultivating their land and paying off their hefty debt.

“We used to have 50 baskets of yield per acre of land. Now it’s only 22-25 baskets,” said a farmer who sat crossed legs. Broadcasting paddy seeds is a quick cultivation method when farmers do not have the time to transplant the paddy. Most farmers chose broadcasting method at the last monsoon season. “But once we broadcasted the paddy seeds, floods hit our fields. We lost a lot of seeds that way,” another farmer explained.

U Oh Yi was the farmer in blue checkered longyi. He had to broadcast several times and lost 200 baskets of seeds before the paddy seeds finally managed to sprout and survived until harvest. His 27 acres of land rewarded his family with 500 baskets of paddy during the monsoon season harvest, not even half the harvest last year.

The one sitting a bit further in the back was U Hla Kyaing. His washed-out blue chinese collar shirt was almost as weary as his expression when he recounted that his 10 acres of land could only produce 50% from last year’s harvest. He also lost double the amount of paddy seeds before they survived to grow on the harsh soil condition that the cyclone left.

“However, the paddy seeds assistance that I had received helped my family to produce half the amount of yield from last year. Otherwise, we would not be able to produce anything.” He emphasized with dignity, despite his foreseen troubles. Among nine other villages under Achan village tract, Michaungyoke has 30% of the paddy fields and 24% of 250 farmers who plant 1,700 acres of Achan’s fields live here. In 2009, 30% of agricultural area in this small village will not be cultivated because the farmers suffered from lack of capital. Nargis has ravaged monsoon season harvest that is usually allocated as capital for dry season paddy.

“Only those who can afford fertilizers decided to grow paddy. Those who can’t, they decided not to grow.” A farmer explained and desperation hovered thick in the room as the rest started to muttered similar facts. From 40 farmers in Michaungyoke who have decided to grow paddy, only half of them could afford proper dose of fertilizers for their fields.

As of January 2009, 50 kilogram low quality rice was sold at USD 20, while last year it was USD 30. While the price of low quality paddy confirmed the despair of our farmers at USD 220 for 100 baskets, while last year it was USD 320.

The hope towards recovery and rehabilitation in the Nargis-affected Delta of Irrawaddy is as murky as the turbid waters of its tributaries. Assistance from the outside world is  iminishing, while the local supports has been challenging. As the rice bowl of Myanmar, the rich alluvial soil of the Delta of
Irrawaddy may not be able to secure the need for food in Myanmar as farmers no longer possess significant means and inputs to continue plough the lands and transplant the paddy in the fields.

Agriculture sector by far received the lowest covered funds of only 28% from the total 58,406,169, which left a gaping unmet requirement of 42,097,333 USD (Myanmar Flash Appeal 2008 - Requirements, Commitments and Pledges per Sector, Apr. 3, 2009). The grim story of Michaungyoke is just a drop of water in the ocean of sufferings. Their accounts marred the idyllic landscape of the Delta, where verdant paddy fields discolored into yellowish as they are lacking of proper farming inputs. The fear of famine slowly spreads across the country.